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SHIELD 


GOTTMIL 


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MKMOMAL 


B  3Booft  of  Devout 
for 


WRITTEN  AND   SELECTED 


DR.   GUSTAV    GOTTHEIL 

Senior  Rabbi  Temple  Emanu-El,  New  York 


For  Sun  and  Shield  is  the  everlasting 
God;  He  giveth  grace  and  honor,  with- 
holdeth  no  good  from  them  that  walk  in 
uprightness. — Psalm  xxxliv.  12. 


BRENTANO^S 

CHICAGO  PARIS  WASHINGTON 


Copyright,   iSqb,   by 
BRENTANO^S 


Co  tbe 

flDemon?  of  flfe£  Wife 

•Rosalie  W.  (3ottbeil 


436357 


(preface. 


4  4  pfr  FRIENDLY  thought,"  says  Carlyle,  "  is  the  purest  gift  a 
\^y  man  can  afford  to  man."  If  so,  this  book  should  not 
fail  of  a  kindly  reception  by  all  those  who  value  such  a  gift.  For 
what  thoughts  can  be  more  friendly  and  propitious  to  man's  best 
nature  than  those  fitted  to  evoke  and  nourish  in  his  heart  a  devout 
spirit  ?  Such  thoughts  speak  peace  to  his  soul,  direct  his  spiritual 
eye  inward  and  upward,  purify  and  elevate  his  desires,  bid  him, 
when  distressed,  to  be  of  good  cheer,  and,  when  prosperous,  to 
guard  himself  from  the  snares  of  pride  and  godforgetfulness.  "  A 
friend  in  need  is  a  friend  indeed, "is  the  common  saying ;  and  such 
a  friend  in  all  sorts  of  needs  and  perplexities  and  doubts  and 
trials  this  book  is  meant  to  prove  ;  to  this  end  our  own  Bible  and 
other  Bibles,  the  traditions  of  our  own  church  and  of  other 
churches,  the  spiritual  bequests  of  our  own  sages  and  poets 
and  of  other  wise  men  and  singers,  as  well,  as  the  writings  of 
living  authors  have  been  diligently  searched  and  laid  under  con- 
tribution. 

Friendly,  also,  in  another  way,  these  pages  will  be  found  on 
examination.  Altho'  intended  for  Israelites,  and  prepared  without 
any  attempt  whatsoever  at  concealing  or  putting  out  of  sight,  or 
even  toning  down,  Jewish  faith  or  Jewish  hopes  or  Jewish  aspira- 
tions, there  will  yet  be  seen  nothing  here  at  which  any  candid 
reader  of  another  creed  could  justly  take  umbrage.  They  only 
who  look  for  offence  may  discover  such  ;  the  over-zealous  eye 

i 


PREFACE. 

easily  magnifies  a  mere  shadow  across  the  way  into  a  stumbling- 
block;  they  who  are  blind  from  an  excess  of  imagined  light, 
may  even  be  scandalized  at  the  least  claim  put  forth  by  any  faith 
but  their  own.  Against  these  classes  (they  are,  fortunately,  now 
growing  less  in  number)  there  is  no  panacasa  ;  their  cavil  must  be 
simply  endured.  But  the  fair-minded  will  allow  that  this  book  is 
not  unworthy  the  encomium  and  imprimatur  of  England's  great 
writer :  that  it  is  a  pure  gift  of  friendly  thoughts  afforded  by  one 
man  to  his  brother  man. 

Likewise  the  form  in  which  these  "  Thoughts  "  are  presented 
should  help  to  make  them  acceptable.  A  few  moments  of  daily 
introspection,  of  retirement  from  the  exhausting  din  and  rush 
around  us,  so  that  we  may  listen  to  the  still,  small  voice  within  us, 
or,  led  by  a  word  of  truth  and  counsel,  bethink  ourselves — (uns 
auf  uns  selbst  besinnen)  seems  to  have  become  a  way  of  religious 
and  ethical  self-culture  which  is  congenial  to  the  taste  and  temper 
of  our  time.  Quite  a  literature  has  sprung  up,  designed  to  satisfy, 
what  may  be  truly  called,  a  need  of  these  latter  days;  and  I 
have  full  reason  to  believe  that  it  is  felt  amongst  spiritually- 
minded  Israelites  as  much  as  amongst  Christians  of  the  same  class. 
A  lady-parishioner,  finding  one  of  those  books  on  my  study- 
table,  lifted  it  up,  as  if  in  grateful  acknowledgment,  and  said : 
"  This  book,  sir,  altho'  not  by  a  Jewish  author,  has  been  my  staff 
and  my  support  these  last  seven  years,  which  were  full  of  trials 
and  heartaches  to  me  and,  in  fact,  I  know  not  how  I  should  have 
lived  through  them  without  its  daily  counsel  near  at  hand." 

I  count  this  demand  for  new  aids  to  devotional  self-exercise 
among  the  hopeful  signs  of  the  time  ;  for  it  shows  that  devotion  is 
not  one  of  the  things  which  we  have  outgrown,  but  which  has 
been  growing  with  us ;  nay,  that  it  is  gathering  unto  itself  new 
strength  by  the  addition  of  thought  to  sentiment,  of  reflection  to 
prayer  and  by  the  willing  acceptance  of  healthful  counsel  from 
whatever  side  it  may  come. 


PREFACE. 

I  have,  therefore,  gladly  responded  to  the  invitation  of  the  pub- 
lishers to  prepare  such  a  help  to  devout  thinking  for  the  Jewish 
church;  whether  and  in  how  far  I  have  struck  the  right  path,  the 
future  will  tell. 

I  have,  however,  departed  from  my  predecessors  in  one  essen- 
tial point ;  I  have  exchanged  the  guiding  line  of  Dates,  followed  by 
them,  for  a  line  of  Subjects,  systematically  arranged  and  provided 
with  appropriate  headings.  The  former  plan  seemed  to  me  all  too 
formal  and  mechanical.  Man's  mind  is  not  like  an  organ,  which 
can  be  set  to  play  any  tune  we  wish,  by  putting  a  sheet  of  paper 
into  it.  Our  moods  cannot  be  regulated  by  dates.  What  we 
want  is  "  strength  according  to  our  own  days,"  which  are  more 
many-colored  than  was  Joseph's  coat.  When,  on  the  first  of  June, 
we  greet  the  morning  with  a  light  and  contented  heart — we  shall 
turn,  in  a  sort  of  anger,  from  the  page  bearing  that  date,  on  finding 
that  it  gives  us  a  death-bed  confession,  or,  if  sad  and  burdened, 
and  longing  for  a  word  of  comfort,  we  find  Blackie's  Song  of  Glee 
offered  for  our  morning  devotion.  When  God  has  filled  our  mouths 
with  laughter,  our  diurnal  reading  should  not  fill  our  eyes  with 
tears.  The  system,  which  I  have  adopted,  saves  the  reader  from 
such  recoils.  The  full  index  of  subjects  in  front  of  the  book  makes 
it  easy  for  him  to  find  a  subject  most  consonant  with  his  actual 
frame  of  mind;  whilst,  when  his  days  follow  each  other  in  an  even 
tenor,  he  may  select  his  topic  and  be  led,  step  by  step,  to  consider 
it  in  its  various  bearings.  Another  advantage  of  the  present 
system  is  that  I  could  take  due  notice  of  Sabbaths  and  Festivals 
and  provide  readings  suitable  for  those  days.  The  expression  on 
the  title  page  "  for  every-day  use  "  should  be  understood,  not 
only  as  characterizing  the  practical  nature  of  the  readings,  but 
also  in  its  numerical  sense,  every  day  of  the  year.  There  are 
three  hundred  and  sixty-six  readings,  divided  into  twelve  sections 
or  books,  after  the  months  of  the  year,  regard  being  had  to  the 
order  of  the  Festivals  in  the  Jewish  church-year.  In  the  arrange- 


PREFACE. 

ment  of  subjects  I  have  been  guided  by  the  wish  to  present  to 
the  reader  a  concise,  yet  comprehensive,  view  of  modern  Judaism 
which,  I  trust,  will  be  as  welcome  to  the  Jewish  as  to  the  non- 
Jewish  reader.  Dogmatic,  philosophical  or  historic  treatises  are 
not  the  writings  which  attract  the  majority  of  people.  A  brief 
statement,  in  clear  and  non-scholastic  terms,  appeared  to  me 
the  best  vehicle  to  convey  such  information  to  circles  where  it  is 
much  needed.  It  is  mostly  here  where  I  speak  in  propria  persona, 
whilst  in  the  field  of  ethics,  of  what  the  Germans  call  Weltweis- 
heity  and  of  the  principles  of  universal  religion,  I  have  invited 
greater  minds,  lights  of  the  world,  poets  of  mankind,  to  speak 
their  Divine  prophecies  once  more  to  our  generation ;  and  assist 
me  in  providing  a  table  for  those  who  hunger  after  righteousness 
and  thirst  for  the  true  word  of  the  ever-inspiring  God.  To  those 
of  their  holy  order  who  have  joined  the  Choir  Invisible,  may  this 
re-awakening  of  their  voices  be  as  a  thank-offering ;  whilst  to 
those  of  my  contributors,  who  are  happily  still  in  the  land  of  the 
living,  I  hereby  offer  my  thanks  with  an  upright  heart. 

The  Scripture  texts  at  the  head  of  each  article  have  not  been 
placed  there  as  a  mere  compliment  to  theVenerable  Book,  to  which 
I  would,  in  this  wise  "  pay  its  dues  in  bows  " ;  but  from  the  con- 
viction of  their  incomparable  value  for  the  upbuilding  of  a  relig- 
ious mind.  I  have  bestowed  much  labor  on  their  selection  and 
would  entreat  those,  who  shall  use  this  book,  not  to  pass  them 
over  lightly,  but  to  pause  awhile  after  reading  and  try  to  grasp 
their  meaning  and  note  their  beauty,  simplicity  and  elevation. 
Would  that  I  could  have  given  them,  as  they  live  in  my  own  mind, 
in  their  native  garb ;  such  was  our  wont  only  half  a  century  ago ! 
For  the  most  skilful  rendering  is,  as  has  been  pithily  said,  a 
surrendering  of  part  of  the  meaning  and  force  of  the  original. 
True  in  all  cases,  it  is  signally  so  in  that  of  the  Bible ;  religion  be- 
ing the  great  and  all-absorbing  purpose  of  the  nation  which 
created  that  literature,  the  national  tongue  was  formed  for  the 


PREFACE. 

expression  of  religious  thought  and  feeling,  as  was  no  other. 
But  even  in  a  strange  tongue,  this  is  what  one,  competent  to 
speak,  says  of  Scripture  quotations : 

The  charm  which  Scripture  quotation  adds  to  writing,  let 
those  tell  who  have  read  Milton,  Bunyan,  Burke,  Forster,  Southey, 
Croly,  Carlyle,  Macauley,  yea,  and  even  Byron,  all  of  whom  have 
sown  their  pages  with  this  orient  pearl  and  brought  thus  an  im- 
pulse from  Divine  Inspiration  to  add  to  the  effect  of  their  own. 
Extracts  trom  the  Bible  always  attest  and  vindicate  their  origin. 
They  nerve  what  else  in  the  sentence  in  which  they  occur  is  point- 
less; they  clear  a  space  for  themselves,  and  cast  a  wide  glory 
around  the  page  where  they  are  found.  Taken  from  the  "  Class- 
ics of  the  Heart"  all  hearts  vibrate  more  or  less  strongly  to  their 
voice.  It  is  even  as  David  felt  of  old  toward  the  sword  of  Goliath 
when  he  visited  the  high-priest  and  said  ;  There  is  none  like  that, 
give  it  me. —  (Gilfillan.) 

And  George  Herbert  says : 

"  A  verse  may  find  him  who  a  sermon  flies." 

As  the  number  of  flyers  from  sermons  is  exceptionally  large  in 
these  latter  days,  I  thought  it  labor  well^-bestowed,  carefully  to 
select  "  verses "  which  seemed  to  me  to  possess  that  heart- 
searching  power.  I  have  been  equally  solicitous  in  the  choice 
of  the  poetical  quotations,  avoiding  mere  rhymed  platitudes,  or 
metred  inanities,  or  spiritless  and  hollow  Wortgeklingel,  but  have 
aimed  at  conveying,  in  the  artistic  form,  a  poetical  thought  akin 
to  the  ideas  presented  in  the  prose  portion.  I  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  add  the  poets'  names  to  these  fragments,  partly,  be- 
cause I  would  not  cumber  the  pages  with  names  by  which  the 
reader's  attention  is  often  lured  from  his  text ;  partly,  because 
such  brief  quotations  are  mostly  given  by  all  writers  without 
mentioning  the  poet's  name.  Only  where  a  whole  poem  is  in- 
serted, I  deemed  it  my  duty  to  both,  author  and  reader,  to  subjoin 
the  name  of  the  "  Happy  Rhymer." 

I  may  not  close  these  prefatory  remarks  without  acknowledg- 


PREFACE. 

ing  my  obligations  to  my  publishers,  who  not  only  (as  I  have 
already  stated)  took  the  initiative  in  the  preparation  of  this  book, 
but  have  foreborn  with  me  when  I  could  not  help,  from  want  of 
time,  to  put  their  patience  to  severe  tests,  and  who  never  stood 
back  at  any  suggestion  by  which  the  usefulness  of  the  book  could 
be  increased  and  its  outer  garment  made  more  pleasing  to  the 
eye ;  so  that  it  is  as  much  for  their  sakes,  as  for  my  own,  that  I 
desire  to  see  these  pages  fulfil  the  mission  for  which  they  were 
intended.  And  let  this  be  my  last  word  to  the  gentle  Reader : 
Brother,  Sister,  whoever  thou  be  who  enters  this  "  little  sanctuary" 
which  I  have  reared  with  more  labor  and  more  anxious  thought 
than  appears  to  the  eye — mayest  thou  indeed  here  "meet  with  God  " 
and  may  the  words,  heard  in  its  stillness,  ever  prove  to  thee  "  words 
in  season,"  lighting  thy  way  to  that  special  grace  thou  standest  in 
need  of ;  and  mayest  thou,  thereby,  be  helped  to  fulfil  thy  highest 
obligation :  to  hallow  the  name  of  God  and  receive,  what  our 
sages  call:  the  seal  and  confirmation  of  all  blessings:  peace! — 
I  beseech  God  so  to  prosper  the  work  of  my  hand,  mind  and 
heart. 

GUSTAV  GOTTHEIL. 


vi 


Contents. 

BOOK   I. 


PAGE 

I.   The  Creator      .     .     .  i 
II.    The    Praise    of   the 

Creator     ....  2 

III.  The  Thought  of  God  3 

IV.  Feeling  after  God     .  4 
V.  Finding  God   ...  5 

VI.  Let  there  be  Light     .  6 

VII.    The  Goodness  of  God  7 

VIII.   The  Justice  of  God    .  8 
I X .   Th  e  Goodness  of  God 's 

Work 9 

X.   The  Everpresent  God  10 

XI.   The  God  we  Worship  n 


XII.  Singing 
God . 


Hymns    to 


12 


XIII.  Intellectual  Worship 

of  God 14 

XIV.  The  Deeper  Sense  of 

Gratitude      ...    15 
XV.   The  Thankful  Heart  16 
XVI.   The    Prayers   of  the 

Wise    .  .16 


XVII. 

XVIII. 
XIX. 

XX. 
XXI. 

XXII. 
XXIII. 
XXIV. 

XXV. 
XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 


PAGE 

The    Overruling 
Power  .     .     .    .17 
Meeting  with  God  19 
The  Inward  Wit- 
ness of  God    .     .  20 
The  Known  God .  2 1 
Nearer,  my  God, 
to  Thee.     ...  23 
The  Accepted 
Worship    ...  24 
Reverence      God 
and  Help  Men    .  25 
The    God  of   the 
Good.     ...      26 
The     Holy     and 
Merciful  God     .  27 
From  Nature  to 
Nature  s  God     .  28 
The  Unity  of  God  29 
The  Joy  of  God  .  30 
The  Spirit  of  God  31 
The    God   of  all 
Souls    ....  32 


vii 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK   II. 


n. 


PAGE 

I.  Man  —  Sinner    and 
Saint  37 
II.   The  Two  Natures  in 
Man     38 

PAGE 

XVI.  Pathfinders     .     .  54 
XVII.   The   Blessings  of 
Love      ....  55 
XVIII.   The    Way  of  the 

III.  Fellow  Men—  Fellow 
Sinners     ....  39 
IV.   The  Pure  Heart  .     .41 
V.   The  Pure  Lips      .     .  42 
VI.   The  Merciful  Heart    43 
VII.   The  Faithful  Heart    44 
VIII.  Self-Rule      ....  45 
IX.  Soul-Liberty     ...  46 
X.  Control  and  Cleanli- 
ness .                           .  47 

God  fearing  .     .56 
XIX.  Godliness     .     .     .57 
XX.   The  Aspiration  of 
Work    ....  58 
XXI.  Death     ....  59 
XXII.  Immortality    .     .  60 
XXIII.  Intimations       of 
Immortality  .     .  62 
XXIV.   The  Scaffolding  .  63 
XXV.    Tears      ....  64 

XI.   The  Good  Flight  .     .  48 
XII.  Serenity  of  Soul    .     .  49 
XIII.  Man  —  Coworkerwith 
God  50 

XXVI.    The  Hereafter     .  65 
XXVII.   The  Hope  of  Sal- 
vation  ....  67 
XXVIII.    The    Destiny     of 

XIV.    Vicarious  Toilers      .  51 
XV.   Toilers  of  the  Spirit    53 

Man      ....  68 
XXIX.  Duty  Divine   .     .  69 
XXX.   True  Excellency  .  70 

viii 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK    III. 


PART      FIRST. 


PAGE 

I. 

The  Call  of  Israel  .  75 

XVIII. 

II. 

The  B&st  Truths     .  76 

III. 

Israel  Enduring      .  77 

XIX. 

IV. 

An  Ideal  of  a  Jew  .  79 

V. 

The  Purpose  of  the 

XX. 

Commandments  .  80 

VI. 

The  Two  Guides      .  81 

XXI. 

VII. 

Customs      .     .     .     .82 

XXII. 

VIII. 

The  Spiritual  Life    83 

IX. 

Ancient  Prayers  .     .  84 

XXIII. 

X. 

The    Grace   of  Re- 

XXIV. 

pentance    .     .     .85 

XI. 

Israel's  Heritage     .  86 

XXV. 

XII. 

What  was  Revealed 

XXVI. 

to  Moses     ...  87 

XIII. 

The  Way  to  God     .  88 

XXVII. 

XIV. 

The      Un  ify  i  n  g 

Power     of     Re- 

XXVIII. 

ligion    ....  90 

XV. 

Jewish  Separatism    91 

XVI. 

True  Unity    ...   92 

XXIX. 

XVII. 

The      Invisible 

Church      ...  93 

XXX. 

PAGE 

The   Invisible 
Lodge  ....     95 

Apostles  of  Right- 
eousness   ...     96 
7%*      Pride     of 
Faith  ....     97 

The  Bible.     .     .     98 

Hallowing  God's 
Name  .     .     .     .100 

Charity      .     .     .  101 

-Afa  Conflict  with 
Science     .     .     .102 

History      .     .     .103 

P'aith     in     their 
Destiny  •• .     .     .104 

Mystery,    but    no 
Secrecy     .     .     .106 

Faith  in  the  Here- 
after   ....   107 

The       Chosen 
People      .     .     .108 

Messiah     .     .     .no 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK   IV. 


PART    SECOND. 


I.   The  Fruit  of  Unity  115 
II.   The     Land     of 
Promise — a  Land 
of  Memories    .     .116 
III.   The  Dispersion      .   117 
TV.  The  New  Life  .     .119 
V.  Deed  is  Creed    .     .  1 20 
VI.   When  is  the  Good 

Time?     ....  121 
VII.   The  Good  of  To  day  123 
VIII.  Honor    the   Hoary 

Head .     .     .     .  '  .  1 24 
IX.   The  Blooming  Rod  125 
X.    The    Past    and 

Present    .     .    .     .126 
XL   The  Only  Heresy    .  127 
XII.   The  Healing  Hand 

of  God     .    .    .    .129 

XIII.  Unbroken  in  Spirit  1 30 

XIV.  The     Torch    of 

Science    .     .     .     .131 
XV.  Still  on  the  Alert  .  133 
XVI.   The  Man  Possessed 

of  God    .     .     .     .  1 34 


XVII.  The    Force     of 

Ancient   Words  135 
XVIII.    The      Suffering 

Witness  for  God  1 37 
XIX.   True  Piety    .     .138 
XX.  A  Time  to  Speak  140 
XXI.  The  Blessing  of 

Abraham     .     .141 
XXII.   The    Silent  yet 

P otent  Teacher .  142 

XXIII.  Saving  Our  Soul  144 

XXIV.  The     Animal 
Soul     .    .     .     .145 

XXV.  Spiritual    Nur- 
ture    .     .     .     .147 
XXVI.  The    Dread    of 

Envy   ....  148 
XXVII.  The   Joy  of  the 

Jewish  Sabbath  149 
XXVIII.  Superstition  .     .150 
XXIX.  Chosen    and  yet 

Sinladen  .     .     .151 
XXX.   The  Comforter  .153 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK   V. 


PAGE 

I.   The  Kingdom  of  God  157 
II.  Messianic  Prayer     .   158 
III.   The  Power  of  Love     160 
IV.    The  Surety  of  'Peace   161 
V.   The  Pillar  of  Grati- 
tude      162 
VI.   The  Fruitful  Tree  .   163 
VII.   The  Ev  er  last  ing 
Arms  165 

I"AGH 

XVII.  Hatred     and 
Pride     .     .     .177 
XVIII.  The     School    of 
Affliction     .     .179 
XIX.  The   Dignity   of 
Man  ....  180 
XX.  Apostle    of  Con- 
science    .     .     .181 
XXI.  The  Prophet  of 
Soul-  Liberty    .  182 
XXII.  Our    Acts     our 
Angels    .     .     .184 
XXIII.  Liberty    and 
Light     .     .     .185 
XXIV.  Belief  in  Man   .  186 
XXV.  The  Architect  of 
Circumstances    1  87 
XXVI.  An      Humble 
Faith     .     .     .188 
XXVII.  Hatred,  The  De- 
stroyer  .     .     .189 
XXVIII.  What    Right- 
eousness     In- 
cludes     .     .     .190 
XXIX.  Cause  no  Stum- 
bling .     .     .     .191 
XXX.  From  the  Cradle 
to  the  Grave    .   193 

VIII.   The  Brotherhood  of 
Man    1  66 

IX.  Religion     and    Hu- 
manity   .     .     .     .167 
X.   The  Wisdom  of  the 
Wise  169 
XI.   The  Trials  of  Great 
Souls  .                    .170 

XII.    The  Continuance  of 
our  Life  .     .     .     .171 
XIII.   The    Ideal    always 
with  us   .     .     .     .173 
XIV.  Religion  and  Home    174 
XV.    What  is  Charity  ?  .   175 
XVI.  Repent  for  III  by  do 
ing  Good     .     .     .176 

xi 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK   VI. 


PAGE 

I.  Duties  of  the  Heart  197 
II.  Casttgations — a 

Means  Only      .     .198 

III.  The  Unfailing   Re 

ward       ....  200 

IV.  The     Kingdom     of 

Man  is  Within    .  201 
V.  Resignation  —  the 
Greatest  Power  of 
the  Mind     .    .     .  202 
VI.  Waiting    for      the 

Lord 203 

VII.  The    Blessedness   of 

Prayer    ....  204 
VIII.  The     Power     of 

Prayer    ....  205 
IX.  Prayer — an  Exper- 
ience  ,     .     .     .     .  206 
X.  If    not     Religion— 

What?  ....  208 
XI.  The    Morning    and 
Evening  Stars  of 

Life 209 

XII.  Devotion  —  a  Liv- 
ing Sense  of  the 
Ideal 210 

XIII.  In     God' s     Own 

Time 211 

XIV.  Stillness  to   God.     .212 
XV.  God  Quiets    me    in 

Himself .     .     .    .213 


fcife. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 
XXII. 

XXIII. 
XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 
XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 
XXX, 


Joy  in  the  Ever- 
present  .  .  .214 

The  Godly  Sor- 
row .  .  .  .215 

The  Schooling 
of  Life  .  .  .216 

The  Punishment 
of  Anger  .  .  217 

Seal  up  the 
Angry  Lips  .218 

The  God-loving.  220 

Lowliness  Ele- 
vates .  .  .  221 

Who  also   Serve  222 

The  World's 
Censure  a 
Means  of  Grace  224 

The  Fining  Pot  225 

Shun  Vainglory  226 

Unconscious 
Worshippers 
of  God  .  .  .  227 

What  is  Most 
Precious  in 
Man  ....  229 

Prosperous  Ad- 
versity .  .  .230 

The  Artificer  of 
his  own  Hap- 
piness .  .  .231 


xii 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK  VII. 


$octaf  feife. 


PAGE 

I.  Seek       Peace      and 

Pursue  it    .     .     .235 
II.  The  Sin  of  Slander  236 

III.  No  Outcasts     .     .     .237 

IV.  In    Sorrow,   not  in 

Anger     ....  238 
V.  Full  Pardon  .     .     .239 
VI.  Doing    Good   with- 
out Causing  Harm  240 
VII.  Angels'  Visits     .     .  242 
VIII.  The  Pleading    Voice 

of  God    .     ...  243 
IX.  Be   and  Appear 

Good 244 

X.  Friendship      .     .     .245 
XI.  The    Right    Use  of 

Power     ....  246 
XII.  Making  the  Best  of 

One  Another    .     .  247 

XIII.  Justice       Before 

Charity    ....  248 

XIV.  Endeavors       .     .     .250 
XV.  Love       Thyself     in 

Thy  Neighbor      .251 
XVI.  The  Grace  of  Man- 
ners     252 


256 

257 
259 


PAGE 

XVII.  The      Golden 

Mean      .     .    .  253 
XVIII.  Kindly  Speech    .  254 
XIX.  Pure   Religion 

and  Undefiled   255 

XX.   The  Consolation 

of  the    Right- 

eous  .... 

XXI.  The   Greatest  is 

Love  .... 

XXII.  Sobriety    .     .     . 

XXIII.  The  Greatness  of 

Little  Things  .  260 

XXIV.  Consummation  of 

the  Past     .     .  261 
XXV.  Human  Kinship  262 
XXVI.  Praise     and 

Prize  of  Virtue  264 
XXVII.  The    Sweet  Uses 

of  Bitter  Words  265 
XXVIII.  The    Vanity    of 

Vaunting   .     .  266 
XXIX.  Love's  Hour  Al- 
ways Now  .    .  267 
XXX.  Fill    Thy  Place 
in  the  Struggle 
for  Goodness   .  268 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK 

VIII. 

<*  ^r 

ne  &ife. 

PAGE 

PAGE 

I.  Parallel   Roads    to 
Happiness   .     .     .273 

XVI.  The     Glory     of 
Faithfulness  .  290 

II.  The  Joyous  Worker  274 

XVII.  Learn     to    En- 
dure ....  291 

III.  The  Grace  of  Child- 

XVIII. Father      and 

hood    ...             275 

JWot/t  CP               202 

IV.  Life  in  the  Destroy- 

XIX. Forefathers  .     .  293 

er's  Steps               .  276 

XX.   The  Dead     .    .  294 

f                                           / 

V.  Neighborhood     .     .277 

XXI.  Transfiguration 
of  Death     .     .295 

VI.  Saved    from      De- 

XXII. The  Eternal  Re- 

struction     .     .     .  278 

ward  .    .     .     .  297 

VII.                  do.                  279 
VIII.                  do.                 281 

XXIII.  The     Children's 
Praise  of  God.  298 
XXIV.  Happiness,  gen- 

IX. The  Mother's  Tear  .282 

uine  and  spur- 

X. Presents    of  Peren- 

ious   ....  299 

nial  Price    .     .     .283 

XXV.  Be  not  Selfish  in 

XI.  The    Heart's     Con- 

thy Sorrow     .  300 
XXVI.  Gentle  Rule    .     .301 

tentment      .     .     .285 

XXVII.   The  Homestead  .  303 

XII.  Considerate  Speech  .  286 

XXVIII.  The   Home-land  304 

XIII.  The    Twofold    Ten- 

XXIX. Levity,  a  Foe  to 

dency  in  Man  .     .  287 

Cheerfulness   .   306 

XIV.  Let  it  pass  ....  288 

XXX.  Goodness    of 
Heart  —  the 

XV.  Home-Politeness  .    .  289 

Beautifier  .    .  307 

CONTENTS. 


BOOK  IX. 


I. 

Praise  of  God  in  the 

PAGE 

XVI. 

Unselfish  Peace  . 

PAGE 
328 

Highest  .     .     .     . 

3" 

XVII. 

Sacred    Uses 

of 

II. 

1  slam  —  Surrender 

the    Sacred 

to  God     .... 

3I2 

Day   .     . 

329 

III. 

The     God    of     Our 

XVIII. 

Sabbath 

IV. 
V. 

Forefathers     .     . 
The  Waters  of  Noah 
Erring  on  the  Right 

313 
314 

XIX. 

Thoughts 
do.     .     . 

-     • 

330 
332 

CfJm 

£ 

XX. 

do     .     . 

333 

VI. 

csiae    
Revelation    in   His- 

31 

XXI. 

do.     .     . 

jjj 

tory     

3^ 

XXII. 

do.     .     . 

335 

Vlt. 

Personal  Religion    . 

3'8 

XXIII. 

do.     .     . 

336 

VIII. 

The   Community    of 
Saints     .     .     .     . 

3!9 

XXIV. 

do.     .     . 

.     . 

J.J 

337 

IX. 

Righteousness,    a 

XXV. 

The   Father 

of 

Blessing  for  all    . 

320 

Lights    . 

.     . 

338 

X. 

Reasonable  Content- 

XXVI. 

Acts  of  Piety 

. 

339 

ment   

322 

XXVII. 

S  p  ir  i  t  u  a 

I 

XI. 

Rest   Under   the 

Growth  . 

340 

Shadow  of   His 

J^v 

Wing      .... 

323 

XXVIII. 

The    Vesture 

of 

XII. 

Discord  and  Accord 

324 

the  Diety 

.     . 

34i 

XIII. 

Inward  Rest   .     .     . 

325 

XXIX. 

The    Throne 

of 

XIV. 

The  Ever  -  present 

God   .    . 

342 

Help   

126 

XXX. 

Prayer    of 

the 

XV. 

Serenity      .... 

J^,VX 

327 

Yearning  Soul 

343 

CONTENTS. 


BOOK   X. 


I. 

The  Message  of  the 
Month  of  Tishri  . 

347 

.0 

XVI. 
XVII 

Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles    .    .     . 
do  

365 
366 

II. 

Rosh-hashanah   .     . 
Hn 

348 
74.0 

XVIII. 

do  

367 

IV. 

The  Destiny  of  Man 

350 

XIX. 
XX 

do  
do      .... 

369 

-370 

V. 

For  the  Penitential 

XXI 

do  

371 

35i 

VT 

do             .... 

353 

XXII. 

The  Closing  Fes- 

VTT 

do                 .     .     . 

354 

tival  .... 

372 

VTTI 

do       

355 

XXIII. 

Chanukah      .     . 

374 

ni-if*. 

TX 

do        

357 

XXIV. 
XXV 

Passover    .     .    . 
do 

J/6 

777 

fin 

XXVI. 

do  

j/7 

378 

VT 

do            .... 

350 

XXVII. 

do.       Spring- 

VTT 

do            .... 

360 

time  

379 

XXVIII 

do  

0 

XIII. 

The  Day  of  Atone- 

XXIX. 

do  

38-* 

ment   

361 

xxx 

do               .     . 

XIV. 
XV. 

Reconciliation     .     . 
Festivals     of      Re- 
joicing    .     .     .     . 

363 
364 

XXXI. 
XXXII. 
XXXIII. 

Shabuoth  .     .     . 
Confirmation 
Tisha  B'Ab   .     . 

385 

386 
388 

CONTENTS. 


BOOK    XI. 

£$e  Community. 

PAGE 

I.  Religion  and  Public 

XVI. 

Morality      .     .     .393 

II.  The  Natural  Direc- 

tions of  Charity   .  394 

VVTT 

III.  Say-well    and    Do- 
well                  .     •  ^95 

^\.  V  1  1  • 

XVIII. 

IV.  The   Oneness   of 

Human    Aspira- 

XIX. 

tions        .          .     .  396 

"W 

V.  The     Safety     of 

XXI. 

Humility     .     .     .  397 

XXII. 

VI.  Soul-  Sanity    .     .     .398 

XXIII. 

VII.  Serving  God  —  Prac 

tical  Religion  .     .  399 
VIII.  Fulfill    the     Whole 

XXIV. 

Law   400 

XXV. 

I  X  .  David  and  the  Sweet 

XXVI. 

Singers  after  him  402 

X.  Words  of  Counsel    .  403 

XXVII. 

XI.  Disappointments      .  404 

XII.  God'  s  Gift,   the 

XXVIII. 

Spirifs  Thrift     .  405 

XXIX. 

XIII.  How  to  Give  and  to 

Take  Counsel  .     .  406 

XXX. 

XIV.   Peace,  the.  Fruit  of 

Goodness.     .     .     .  408 

XXXI. 

XV.  Blended  Radiance    .  409 

The    Refuge    of 

Uprighteous- 

ness  .  .  .  .410 
Be  Circumspect  .411 
Truth  Self-Pro- 
tecting .  .  .412 
The  Whisperer  .413 
Wise  Counsel  .414 
Tempt  not  God  .415 
Doing  our  Ought  417 
Spotless  and 

Guileless  .  .418 
The  Pharisees  .419 
ATI  Exhortation  420 
The  Schooling  of 

the  Law  .  .  42 1 
The  Witness  of 

Conduct  .  .422 
Sins  of  Omission  423 
Worship,  Wise 

and  Otherwise  424 
More  Light  and 

Welcome  .  .425 
The  Balm  of 

Prayer   .     .     .  426 


xvii 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK  XII. 


£hne  anb  (Bfernifg. 


432 


I.  Delay  is  Loss  .     .     .431 
II.  The    Passing    Day 
Holds    Lasting 
Good  .     .     . 

III.  Here  is  the  Light  of 

Hereafter    .     .     .433 

IV.  We  Cannot  be  Where 

God  is  Not  .     .     .  434 
V.   The  Insight  of  Good- 
ness      436 

VI.   The  Fear  and   the 

Love  of  God     .     .  437 
VII.  The  Flight  of  Years  438 
VIII.  The  Fittest  Prepara- 
tion for  a  Better 
World     ....  439 
IX.  Passing    Away     in 

Peace 440 

X.  Planting  for  Eter- 
nity      441 

XI.  Discords     and    Ac- 
cords of  Life    .     .  442 
XII.  The  Allurements  of 

Heroism .     .     .     .443 

XIII.  Morning  Offering    .  444 

XIV.  This  Day  the  Lord 

Hath  Made      .     .  445 
XV.  Victorious  from  the 

Fight      ....  446 
XVI.  Midnight  Hymn .     .  447 


XVII, 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 
XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 
XXXII. 


The  Fashioning 

Hand  .  .  .  448 
At  the  Unknown 

Gate  ....  440 
At  the  Time  of 

Old  Age  .  .  450 
The  Crowning  of 

a  Good  Lije  .  451 
///  the  Home  for 

Incurables  .  .452 
The  Heroism  of 

Submission  .  454 
Not  so  in  Haste, 

My  Little  Man  455 
Our     Times    of 
Life     ....  456 
The^  Hope  of  the 

Future,     a 

Light  for  the 

Present  .     .     .457 
A  Song  of  Trust  458 
The    A"irs    of 
Heaven     .     .     .  460 
Turning    the 

Light  Inward  461 
The  Hidden 

Light  and  Life  462 
The  Chast&ning 

Thought  of 

Death  .  .  .  463 
Crossing  the  Bar  464 
Hallowing  the 

Name  of  God  .  465 


xviii 


of 


ABRAHAMS,  ISRAEL,  242,  246 

ACHAI,  Rabbi,  102,  146,  190 

ADDISON,  JOSEPH,  181,  186,  214,  252,  285, 

300,  360 

AGUILAR,  GRACE,  419 
ALAMI,  SOLOMON,  145 
ANTONINUS,  25 
ARISTOTLE,  254 
ARNOLD,  MATTHEW,  193,  386 
ASAI,  BEN,  55 

ASHER,  JUDAH,  BEN,  147,  236 

AUERBACH,  BERTHOLD,  306 
ARAMA,  ISAAC,  143,  163 

BARROWS,  SAM.  T.,  262 

BARNES,  ALBERT,  302 

BEAULIEU,   ANATOLE  LEROY,  131,  132, 

BEETHOVEN,  LUDWIG,  VON,  171 
BEECHER,  HENRY  WARD,  16,  64,  267, 

324,  364,  380,  385 
BIGG,  J.  STANYON,  342 
BLAIR,  HUGH,  306 
BONAR,  HORATIUS,  449 

BOMBO,   PlETRO,  451 
BOSTHWICK,  J.  D.  388 

BREMER,  FREDERIKA,  442 
BROOKS,  PHILLIPS,  235 
BROWNING,  ELIZABETH  BARRETT,  65 
BROWN,  E.  A.  C.,  466 
BROWN,  SIR  THOMAS,  240,  344 
BRYANT,  WILLIAM  CULLEN,  450 
BUNYAN,  JOHN,  406 
BURLEIGH,  WILLIAM,  H.,  380 
BURKE,  186 

CAEDMON,  371 

CAMP,  STEPHEN  H.,  452 

CARLYLE,  THOMAS,  52,  53,  173,  187,  274, 

444,  446 

CECIL,  465 

CHADWICK,  JOHN  W.,  168,  243 

CHALMERS,  T.,  394 

CHANNING,  WILLIAM  E.,  203,  229.  367 

CICERO,  166 

CLAPP,  ELIZA  T.,  88 

CLEANTHES,  3,  342 

COBBE,E.  P.,  36l 


COLERIDGE,  HARTLEY,  210 
COLLYER,  ROBERT,  77 

COLTON,  184 

COUCY,  MOSES,  BEN  JACOB  OF.,  39 

DARMSTETTER,  JAMES,  103,  104, 135,^36, 

138,  139 

DAVY,  HUMPHREY,  209 
DEEMS,  CHARLES  F.,  339,  424,  442 
DICKENS,  CHARLES,  276 
DISRAELI,  ISAAC,  150 

EINHORN,  DAVID,  125 
ELIOT,  GEORGE,  82,  383 
EMERSON,  RALPH  WALDO,  253,  308,  379? 
417,  446 

EPICTETUS,  265 
FABER,  F.  W.,  365 
FARRAR,  F.  W.,  128 
FENELON,  341 
FORSTER,  GEORGE,  250 
Fox,  GEORGE,  212 
FRANKLIN,  BENJAMIN,  273 
FROTHINGHAM,  O.  B.,  291 
FUNK,  ADDIE,  387 

GABRIOL,  SOLOMON,  IB'N,  2,  350 
GEIGER,  ABRAHAM,  410 
GOETHE,  69 

HALEVY,  JACOB,  352 

HALEVY,  JEHUDAH,  63,  71,  89,  323 

HALL,  CHARLES  H.,  172,  175,  396,  401, 

402 

HEINE,  HEINRICH,  78, 99 
HELPS,  SIR  ARTHUR,  286 
HENRY,  M.,  an 
HERDER,  68 
HERODOTUS,  416 
HUEBSCH,  ADOLPH,  140,  142 
HIRSCH,  SAMUEL,  192,  217 
HIRSCH,  EMIL,  228 
HOLDHEIM,  SAMUEL,  29 
HUGO,  VICTOR,  61 
HUMBOLDT,  ALEXANDER  VON,  28 

ISAAC,  ELEAZAR,  BEN,  58 


LIST  OF   AUTHORS   QUOTED. 


JECHIEL  OP  ROME,  169 

JOSEPH,  MORRIS,  454,  455 

JOSEPHUS,  FLAVIUS,  54,  80,  321,  369,  421, 

422 
JUD^EUS,  PHILO,  3,  5,  n,  15,  24,  25,  49, 

200,  245,  330,  369 

KANT,  EMANUEL,  251 
KINGSLEY,  CHARLES,  412 
KOHLER,  K.,  191 

LACTANTIUS,  167,  381 

LAVATER,  184 

LAW,  WILLIAM,  56 

L' ESTRANGE,  83 

LEWIN,  RAPHAEL,  D.  C.,  373 

LONGFELLOW,    HENRY     WADSWORTH, 

239,  296 
LUTHER,  MARTIN,  367 

MATHESON,  445 

MASON,  WILLIAM,  439 

MALONE,  Father  SYLVESTER,  376,  378 

MARTINEAU,  J.,  59 

MAIMONIDES,  MOSES,  6,  8,  9, 10, 14,  41, 

42»  43i  45i  48»  i3°»  IS1!  *99i  368 

MENCIUS,  167,  329,  417 
MENDELSSOHN,  MOSES,  18,  66,  94 
MILLER,  J.  R.,  449 
MILTON,  JOHN,  297,  438 
MOHAMMED,  4,  176 
MOLINOS,  M.  343 

MONTEFIORE,    CLAUDE  G.,  269,  435,  437, 

,     447 

MONTAIGNE,  443 

MOORE,  THOMAS,  372 

MOZOOMDAR,  PROTAP,  CHUNDAR,  320 

MOSES  OF  EVREUX,  19 

MUSCATO,  JEHUDAH,  161 

NORTON,  MRS.,  293 

PAINE,  THOMAS,  418 

PAKUDA,  BECHAY,  BEN  JOSEPH,  IB'N, 

198,  397,  433 

PAKUDAH,  BACHIAH,  IB'N,  397,  433 
PARKER,  THEODORE,  30 
PASCAL,  BLAISE,  255,  463 
PENINI,  R.  JEDAYA,  434, 
PLATO,  17,  296 
PLINY,  443 


PLUTARCH,  50 
PUSEY,  E.  B.,  322 

QUINTILLIAN,  167 

RICHTER,  JEAN  PAUL  F.,  33,  166,  288, 

341 

ROBERTSON,  F.  W.  23,  69,  205 
ROSCOE,  ROBERT,  28.2 
RUSKIN,  JOHN,  249,  337,  357 

SAADYAH,  R.,  226 

SAVAGE,  MINOT,  J.,  84,  241,  284,  301,  304, 

384>  441 

SCHUBERT,  FRANZ,  171 
SENECA,  263,  264,  302,  381,  462 
SIDNEY,  Sir  PHILIP,  60 
SILVERMAN,  JOSEPH,  314 
SIMON,  OSWALD  JOHN,  326,  327 
SMITH  SIDNEY,  248,  253 
SOLIS-COHEN,  SOLOMON,  389 

SOUTHEY,  458 

SOUTHWELL,  ROBERT,  432 
STANLEY,  A.  P.,  248,  277 
STERLING,  JOHN,  69 
SYNESIUS,  Bishop,  344 

TAULER,  JOHN,  177 
TAYLOR,  JEREMY,  219,  357 
TERENCE,  379 
THEODORES,  T.,  106,  108 
THOREAU,  H.  D.,  231 

TlLLITSON,  413 

TRENCH,  RICHARD  CH.,  427 

VOYSEY,  CHARLES,  13,  204,  237,  278,  280, 
281,  324,  354,  400 

WASHINGTON,  GEORGE,  393 
WATTS,  458 

WHITTIER,  JOHN  GREENLEAF,  450 
WHITE,  J.  BLANCO,  463 
WILLIAMS,  ROGER,  182,  183 
WORDSWORTH,  WILLIAM,  70 
WUENSCHE,  AUGUST,  164,  220 

YEDUDAH,  ELEAZAR,   BEN,  44,  71,  79, 

100,  224,  227 

ZUNZ,  LEOPOLD,  158 


Unless  God  had  been  my  help,  my  soul  had  dwelt 
in  the  silent  Place.  When  I  said  :  My  foot  slippeth, 
Thy  mercy,  O  God!  upheld  me.  In  the  uproar  of 
my  thoughts  Thy  comforts  appease  my  soul. — Psalm 
xciv.  17-19. 

The  world  is  not  the  place  of  God,  God  is  the 
place  of  the  world. — The  Pharisees. 


By  the  word  of  the  Lord  were  the  heavens  made ; 
and  all  their  hosts  of  stars  by  the  breath  of  His 
mouth.  Let  all  the  earth  fear  the  Lord :  let  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  world  reverence  Him.  For  He 
spake  and  it  was  done ;  He  commanded  and  it  stood 
Psalm  xxxiii. 


art  Almighty  and  all  creatures  are  Thy  wit- 
nesses, and  in  honor  of  this  name  every  creature 
is  bound  to  serve  Thee.  All  things  formed  are  Thy 
servants  and  worshippers;  nor  can  Thy  glory  be  dimin- 
ished because  they  worship  others  besides  Thee ;  since 
the  intention  of  all  is  to  draw  near  unto  Thee.  Un- 
happily, they  are  as  blind  men.  Though  their  faces  be 
directed  to  the  King's  highway,  they  have  strayed  from 
the  right  road.  .  .  .  Thy  true  servants  are  like 
those  who,  having  their  eyes  open,  travel  in  the 
straight  path,  turning  from  the  way  neither  to  the  right 
nor  to  the  left  till  they  arrive  at  the  court  of  the  King's 
Palace.  Thou  art  God,  who  by  Thy  divinity  supportest 
all  things  formed ;  and  Thou  upholdest  all  creatures  by 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Thy  unity.  There  is  no  distinction  in  Thee;  for 
although  the  names  of  Thy  attributes  be  varied,  all 
point  to  the  same  end  and  all  is  One  Mystery. 

SOLOMON  IB'N  GABIROL. 

J^ORD  of  all  being,  throned  afar, 
^i    Thy  glory  flames  from  sun  and  star ; 
Centre  and  soul  of  every  sphere, 
Yet  to  each  loving  heart  how  near ! 

Grant  us  Thy  truth  to  make  us  free, 
And  kindling  hearts  that  burn  for  Thee, 
Till  all  Thy  living  altars  claim 
One  holy  light,  One  holy  flame. 


n-  €$t  (praise  of  ify  Ctcafor. 


All  Thy  works  shall  praise  Thee,  O  Lord,  and 
Thy  pious  ones  shall  bless  Thee.  Let  them  speak  of 
the  glory  of  Thy  kingdom  and  tell  of  Thy  power.  — 
Psalm  cxlv.  10,  //. 


is  an  old  story,  invented  by  the  sages  and 
handed  down  by  memory  from  age  to  age.  They 
say,  when  God  had  finished  the  world,  He  asked  one  of 
the  angels  if  aught  were  wanting  on  land  or  on  sea,  in 
air  or  in  heaven.  The  angel  answered  that  all  was 
perfect;  one  thing  only  he  desired — speech,  to  praise 
God's  works,  or  recount  them,  which  would  be  their 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

praise.  The  sincerity  of  truth  would  be  their  most 
perfect  praise.  And  the  Father  approved  the  angel's 
words,  and  not  long  after  appeared  the  race,  gifted 
with  the  muses  and  with  song.  This  is  the  ancient 
story;  and  in  consonance  with  its  spirit,  I  say:  It  is 
God's  peculiar  work  to  benefit,  and  His  creatures'  work 
to  .give  Him  thanks.  PHILO  JuMUS- 

f^ET  gratitude  within  each  breast 
^f     Exert  its  high  control  ; 
Its  presence,  like  an  angel-guest, 
Shall  sanctify  the  soul. 


III.  £0c  gfcugtf  of 


Light  is  sown  for  the  righteous,  and  gladness  for 
the  upright  in  heart.  —  Psalm  xcvii.  n. 


THOU  Great  Giver  of  all  blessings,  preserve  us 
from  error !  Remove  all  shadows  from  our  minds 
and  enable  us  to  follow  the  laws  of  that  eternal  reason 
by  which  Thou  guidest  the  world.  Thus  honored  by 
a  knowledge  of  Thy  righteous  laws,  we  shall  be  en- 
abled to  honor  Thee  as  feeble  mortals  should,  and 
offer  to  Thee  incessant  hymns  of  praise.  For  neither 
mortal  nor  immortal  beings  can  be  engaged  in  nobler 
service  than  celebrating  the  Divine  Mind  which  pre- 
sides over  all  nature.  ~ 

CLEANTHES. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

things  that  are  in  heaven  and  in  earth  praise 
God.  He  is  the  Mighty,  the  Wise,  at  once  the 
Seen  and  the  Hidden.  .  .  .  Every  creature  knoweth 
its  prayer  and  its  praise.  The  East  and  the  West  are 
God's;  therefore,  whichever  way  ye  turn,  there  is  the 
face  of  God.  He  will  guide  unto  Himself  all  who  turn 
to  Him.  Have  faith  and  let  your  hearts  rest  securely 
on  the  thought  of  God. 


MOHAMMED. 


still  my  light  upon  my  way, 
My  pilgrim  staff  and  rod, 
My  rest  by  night,  my  strength  by  day, 
O,  blessed  thought  of  God. 


IV. 


With  the  merciful  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  merci- 
ful ;  with  an  upright  man  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself 
upright ;  with  the  pure  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  pure ; 
and  with  the  froward  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  fro- 
ward. — Psalm  xviii.  25,  26. 


powers  of  God  are  ubiquitous;  not  merely  for 
the  benefit  of  pre-eminent  men,  but  also  for  those 
who  seem  to  be  insignificant.  To  them,  too,  God  gives 
that  which  harmonizes  with  the  capacity  and  measure 
of  their  souls. 

Who  is  there  so  without  reason  and  soul  as  never, 
either  voluntarily  or  involuntarily  ,  to  conceive  a  notion 
of  God  ?  For  a  sudden  apparition  of  the  good  fre- 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

quently  flits  past  even  the  wickedest;  but  they  cannot 
retain  or  keep  hold  of  it.  .  .  For  it  quickly  passes  away 
from  those  who  have  lived  beyond  the  bounds  of  law 
and  justice;  as,  indeed,  it  would  never  have  visited  them 
at  all  if  it  were  not  to  convict  those  who  chose  evil 
instead  of  good. 


PHILO 


rSSIONS  proud  and  fierce  have  ruled  me, 
Fancies  light  and  vain  have  fooled  me, 
But  Thy  training  stern  hath  schooled  me ; 

Now,  Lord, 
Take  me  for  thy  child,  O  Lord. 

Groping  dim  and  bending  lowly, 
Mortal  vision  catcheth  slowly 
Glimpses  of  the  pure  and  holy ; 

Now,  Lord, 
Open  Thou  mine  eyes,  O  Lord. 


V. 


And  ye  shall  find  Me,  if  ye  search  for  Me  with  all 
your  heart. — Jeremiah  xxix.  12,  13, 


Oj?FTER  a  man  has  acquired  the  true  knowledge  of 
^**  God,  it  must  be  his  aim  to  surrender  his  whole 
being  to  Him  and  to  have  his  heart  constantly  filled 
with  longing  after  Him.  .  .  Our  intellectual  power, 
which  emanates  directly  from  God,  joins  us  to  Him. 
You  have  it  in  your  power  to  strengthen  that  bond,  or 
to  weaken  it  until  it  breaks.  It  will  be  strengthened  if 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

you  love  God  above  all  other  things,  and  weakened  if 
you  prefer  other  things  to  Him.  All  religious  acts, 
such  as  the  reading  of  Scripture,  praying  and  perform- 
ing of  ordinances,  are  only  means  to  fill  our  mind  with 
the  thought  of  God  and  free  it  from  worldliness.  If, 
however,  we  pray  with  the  motion  of  our  lips,  and  our 
face  toward  the  wall,  but  think  all  the  while  of  our  busi- 
ness, read  the  Law  and  think  of  the  building  of  our 
house,  perform  ceremonies  with  our  limbs  only,  whilst 
our  hearts  are  far  from  God,  then  there  is  no  difference 
between  these  acts  and  the  digging  of  the  ground,  or 
the  hewing  of  wood. 


MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 


Tj^HE  anxious  strife,  the  eager  race, 
^^     The  cares  of  self  for  Thee  I  leave  ; 
Put  forth  Thy  hand,  Thy  hand  of  grace, 
Into  the  ark  of  love  receive, 
Take  this  poor  fluttering  soul  to  rest, 
And  still  it,  Father;  on  Thy  breast. 

¥ 

VI.  feet  £0erc  QBe 


And  God  said,  Let  there  be  light  :  and  there  was 
light.  And  God  saw  the  light,  that  it  was  good.  — 
Genesis  z,  j. 


AV|  ARK  well,  my  soul,  this  first  creative  word  of  the 
^-  Almighty  and  let  not  the  night  of  sorrows  so  set- 
tle over  and  envelop  thy  heart  that  no  brightness  can 
pierce  it.  Close  not  the  eye  against  a  star  of  hope  if  it 

6 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

rise  in  the  gloomy  sky.  Flee  not  from  the  streak  in  the 
East,  which  announces  the  return  of  the  morning.  It 
is  God  who  says:  "  Let  there  be  light:  "  and  wilt  thou 
answer:  Nay,  it  shall  be  darkness?  It  is  God  who  says: 
"the  light  is  good:  "and  wilt  thou  answer  :  It  is  not 
good  for  me  ?  Rather  say  to  thyself  with  the  Seer : 
Arise,  shine !  for  my  light  is  coming.  p  „ 

Who  is  there  amongst  you  that  feareth  the  Lord, 
that  obeyeth  the  voice  of  His  servants,  that  walketh  in 
darkness,  and  hath  no  light  ?  let  him  trust  in  the  Lord 
and  stay  upon  his  God. — Isaiah,  /,  10. 

on,  brave  soul,  bear  on  thy  load  ; 
But  let  no  deeper  shadows  fall 
Across  thy  steep  and  rocky  road 
Than  He  doth  send  who  ruleth  all. 


VII.  £0c  d5oobne05  of 


Only  goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the 
days  of  my  life,  and  I  shall  dwell  in  the  house  of  God 
for  all  the  length  of  time.  —  Psalm  xxiii,  6. 


cannot  be  said  of  God  that  He  directly  creates  evil, 
or  that  He  has  the  intention  to  create  it;  this  is  im- 
possible. His  works  are  all  good  and  perfect.  He  only 
produces  existence,  and  all  existence  is  good.  But 
evils  are  of  a  negative  character  and  cannot  be  acted 
upon .  .  •  The  Book  which  enlightened  the  darkness  of 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

the  world,  says  therefore:  "And  God  saw  everything 
that  He  had  made,  and  behold,  it  was  very  good." 
Death  and  all  other  evils  are  likewise  good  for  the  per- 
manence of  the  Universe  and  the  continuation  of  the 
order  of  things  ;  one  thing  departs  and  another  suc- 
ceeds. Rabbi  Meir,  therefore,  explains  the  words  "and 
behold,  it  was  very  good "  by  saying  that  even  death 
was  good.  Consider  this  and  you  will  understand  all 
that  the  prophets  and  our  sages  remarked  about  the 
perfect  goodness  of  all  the  direct  works  of  God. 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

good  distressed  ! 

Ye  noble  few  !  who  here  unbending  stand 
Beneath  Life's  pressure — yet  bear  up  awhile ; 
And  what  your  bounded  view,  which  only  saw 
A  little  part,  deem'd  evil,  is  no  more  ; 
The  storms  of  wintry  time  will  quickly  pass, 
And  one  unbounded  Spring  encircle  all. 


viii.  tfy.  3fu6foe  of 

All  the  ways  of  the  Lord  are  mercy  and  truth,  to 
such  as  keep  His  covenant  and  His  testimonies. — 
Psalm  XXTJ.  10. 


soul,  when  accustomed  to  superfluous  things, 
acquires  a  strong  habit  of  desiring  others,  which 
are  neither  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  the  indi- 
vidual, nor  for  that  of  the  species.  This  desire  is  with- 
out limit;  whilst  things  which  are  necessary  are  few,  and 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

restricted  within  certain  bounds.  Lay  this  well  to 
heart,  reflect  on  it  again  and  again;  that  which  is  super- 
fluous is  without  end  (and  therefore  the  desire  for  it  also 
without  limit].  Thus  you  desire  to  have  your  vessels 
of  silver,  but  golden  vessels  are  still  better;  others  have 
even  vessels  studded  with  sapphires,  emeralds  or  rubies. 
Those,  therefore,  who  are  ignorant  of  this  truth,  that 
the  desire  for  superfluous  things  is  without  limit,  are 
constantly  in  trouble  and  pain.  They  expose  themselves 
to  great  dangers  by  sea-voyages,  or  in  the  service  of 
Kings.  When  they  thus  meet  with  the  consequences  of 
their  course  they  complain  of  the  judgments  of  God; 
they  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  God's  power  is  insufficient, 
because  He  has  given  to  this  Universe  the  properties 
which  they  imagine  cause  these  evils. 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

^f  AVF.  me  alike  from  foolish  pride 
^•B'     Or  impious  discontent 
At  aught  Thy  wisdom  has  denied, 
Or  aught  Thy  goodness  lent. 

¥ 

<Boobne0s  of  d5ob'0  TJJotft. 

For  affliction  cometh  not  forth  of  the  dust,  neither 
doth  trouble  spring  out  of  the  ground. — Job.  v.  6. 


frequently  think  that  the  evils  in  the  world  are 
more  numerous  than  the  good  things;  many  say- 
ings and  songs  of  the  nations  dwell  on  this  idea.  They 
say  that  the  good  is  found  only  exceptionally,  whilst 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

evil  things  are  numerous  and  lasting.  The  origin  of 
this  error  is  to  be  found  in  the  circumstance  that  men 
judge  of  the  whole  universe  by  examining  one  single 
person,  believing  that  the  world  exists  for  that  one 
person  only.  If  anything  happens  to  him  contrary  to 
his  expectation,  forthwith  they  conclude  that  the  whole 
universe  is  evil.  All  mankind  at  present  in  existence 
form  only  an  infinitesimal  portion  of  the  permanent  uni- 
verse. It  is  of  great  advantage  that  man  should  know 
his  station.  Numerous  evils  to  which  persons  are  ex- 
posed are  due  to  the  defects  existing  in  the  persons 
themselves.  We  seek  relief  from  our  own  faults;  we 
suffer  from  evils  which  we  inflict  on  ourselves;  and  we 
ascribe  them  to  God,  who  is  far  from  connected  with 
them.  As  Solomon  explained  it:  The  foolishness  of  man 
perverteth  his  way,  and  his  heart  fretteth  against  the 
Lord.— Prov.  xix.  3.  MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

HEN  thou  hast  thanked  the  Lord  for  every  blessing  sent, 
What  time  will  then  remain  for  murmur  and  lament  ? 


<Bt>etpre0enf 

In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  God,  and  He  will 
direct  thy  paths. — Prov.  Hi.  6. 

Thou  wilt  kindle  my  light;  the  Lord,  my  God, 
will  illume  my  darkness. — Psalm  xviii.  28. 


HAVE  often  left  my  kinsmen,  friends  and   coun- 
try,    and    betaken    myself    to    the    desert,    that    I 
might  see  some  higher  vision ;  and  it  has  profited  me 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

nothing;  my  thoughts,  scattered,  or  impelled  by  passion, 
have  not  reached  their  goal.  Sometimes,  on  the  other 
hand,  in  a  crowded  assembly  I  have  held  my  mind 
in  solitude,  and  God  has  silenced  the  turmoil  in  my  soul, 
and  taught  me  that  it  is  not  the  difference  of  places 
that  works  the  good  thought,  but  it  is  God  who  moves 
and  guides  the  chariot  of  the  soul  wherever  he  prefers. 

PHILO  JUD.EUS. 

jfr^H,  let  my  converse,  Lord,  with  Thee, 
w^     From  bonds  of  errors  set  me  free ; 
And  let  Thy  light  within  my  mind 
Remove  the  shades  that  keep  me  blind. 

Grant  me  the  power,  the  right  to  see, 
To  love  the  good  and  follow  Thee ; 
And  in  that  power  oh,  grant  the  love 
Of  all  on  earth,  of  God  above. 


XL  $%e  (Bob  we 


I  am  the  Everlasting  ;  that  is  my  name  :  and  my 
glory  will  I  not  give  to  another,  neither  my  praise  to 
graven  images.  —  Isaiah  xlii.  8. 


Being  do  we  worship  ?  It  is  the  Being  to 
whom  our  reason  points,  in  whom  the  heart 
takes  refuge ;  it  is  the  Being  whom  the  philosopher  and 
the  searcher  of  nature  ultimately  acknowledge  as  the 
cause  of  causes.  About  the  gods  of  the  heathen  you  can- 
not know  anything  unless  you  know  their  history;  but 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

the  God  of  Israel  is  high  above  all  that  happens  on  earth 
or  in  heaven.  Suppose  the  Bible  were  lost,  and  all  the 
literature  appertaining  to  it  likewise,  and  no  Israelite 
left  to  bear  his  testimony — what  would  ensue  ?  Human 
thought  would  immediately  set  out  to  seek  Him;  for 
the  human  mind  cannot  abandon  Him.  How  far  sur- 
passing the  highest  human  intelligence  is  He,  and  yet 
how  near  to  us !  He  is  the  God  of  the  oppressed,  and 
not  of  the  oppressor;  He  is  the  God  of  the  weak,  and 
not  of  the  overbearing ;  He  is  the  God  that  hears  the 
cry  of  the  downtrodden,  and  arms  His  messengers  with 
power  to  deliver  them.  G.  G. 

OfYl  AS  it  not  told  you  from  the  first : 
*~      He  faints  not,  tires  not  ever  ? 
He  still  is  merciful  as  erst, 

His  goodness  waneth  never. 
Then  trust  to  Him  in  all  your  way, 
He  knows  not  darkness  nor  decay. 


XII.  Ringing;  JE)2mn0 


I  will  bless  the  Lord  at  all  times.  His  praise 
shall  ever  be  in  my  mouth.  O  praise  the  Lord  with 
me  and  let  us  magnify  His  name  together.  —  Psalm 
xxxiv.  j. 

The  chiefest  and  divinest  hymn  (to  God)  should  be 
for  His  having  given  us  the  power  of  understanding 
and  of  dealing  rationally  with  ideas.  Nay  —  since 
most  of  you  are  utterly  blind  to  this  —  ought  there  not 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

to  be  someone  to  make  this  his  special  function,  and  to 
sing  the  hymn  to  God  for  all  the  rest  ?  What  else 
can  a  lame  old  man,  like  me,  do  but  sing  hymns  to 
God  ?  If  I  were  a  nightingale,  I  should  do  the  work 
of  a  nightingale  ;  if  a  swan,  the  work  of  a  swan ;  but 
being,  as  I  am,  a  rational  being,  I  must  sing  hymns  to 
God.  This  is  my  work  ;  this  I  do  ;  this  rank — as  far 
as  I  can — I  will  not  leave ;  and  I  invite  you  to  join 
with  me  in  this  same  song. — Epictetus, 


is  a  lesson  we  all  need  to  be  perpetually  re- 
minded of,  viz : — that  the  only  pathway  to  the  de- 
lights of  true  religion  lies  through  self-control  and  self- 
conquest.  We  cannot  attain  our  freedom  as  God's  dear 
children  in  any  other  way.  And  it  was  only  because 
Epictetus  had  learned  how  to  conquer  himself,  how  to 
surrender  his  own  will  to  the  will  of  God,  that  poor  as 
he  was,  slave  as  he  was,  lame  as  he  was,  despised  and 
persecuted  as  he  was',  nevertheless  he  was  the  happiest 
of  men.  At  what  an  enviable  height  he  stands  above 
us  poor  grumblers,  when  he  says,  "  I  must  sing  hymns 
to  God — this  is  my  work — this  I  will  do." 

Come  then  and  sing  with  us  your  gladdest  songs, 
singing  not  only  with  tuneful  voice,  but  in  the  music 
of  a  high  and  noble  life,  and  in  the  harmony  of  a  soul 
at  perfect  peace  with  God  and  with  men ;  singing  not 
only  with  the  lark  in  the  sunlit  sky,  but  when  beaten 
down  by  the  storms  of  early  misfortune  and  when 
entering  the  dark  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death — 

"  I  will  fear  no  evil  for  Thou  art  with  me." 

CHARLES  VOYSEY. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

eOME  ye  that  love  the  Lord, 
And  let  your  joys  be  known  ; 
Join  in  a  song  with  sweet  accord, 
And  thus  surround  His  throne. 

IP 

XIII.       3nfeffectuaf  <Wowft>  of 


With  my  soul  have  I  desired  Thee  in  the  night; 
yea,  with  my  spirit  within  me  will  I  seek  thee  early 
—  Isaiah  xxvi.  . 


you  are  alone  by  yourself,  when  you  are 
awake  on  your  couch,  be  careful  to  meditate  in 
such  precious  moments  on  nothing  but  on  the  intellec- 
tual worship  of  God;  approach  Him  and  minister  before 
Him  in  this  true  manner,  and  not  merely  in  thoughtless 
emotion.  .  .  .  But  our  heart  can  be  constantly  with 
God  even  whilst  we  are  in  the  society  of  men.  .  .  .  Let 
us  pray  and  beseech  Him  that  He  Himself  may  clear 
and  remove  from  our  way  everything  that  obstructs  our 
approach  or  forms  a  partition  between  Him  and  us, 
albeit  those  obstacles  are  mostly  of  our  own  creating. 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

./jfeVTHER!  replenish  with  Thy  grace 
j-jl      This  longing  heart  of  mine, 
Make  it  Thy  quiet  dwelling-place, 

Thy  sacred  inmost  shrine  ! 
Forgive  that  oft  my  spirit  wears 

Her  time  and  strength  in  trivial  cares, 
Enfold  her  in  Thy  changeless  peace, 

So  she  from  all  but  Thee  may  cease  ! 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XIV.     £0c  ©eeper  ^enae  of 


— Now,  our  God,  we  thank  Thee  and  praise  Thy 
glorious  name.  But  who  am  I  and  what  is  my  people 
that  we  should  be  able  to  offer  so  willingly  after  this 
sort?  For  all  things  come  of  Thee,  and  of  Thine 
own  have  we  given  Thee. — From  the  prayer  of 
dedication  by  David. — I  Chron.  xxix.  fj,  14. 


AVjOSES  has  shown  that  we  should  all  confess  our 
v-  gratitude  for  the  powers  we  possess.  The 
wise  man  should  dedicate  his  sagacity,  the  eloquent 
man  his  speech,  to  the  praise  of  God;  the  physicist 
should  offer  to  Him  his  physics,  the  moralist  his 
ethics,  the  scientist  his  science,  and  the  artist  his  art; 
the  sailor  his  succesful  voyage,  the  husbandman  his 
harvest,  the  herdsman  the  increase  of  his  cattle;  the 
physician  the  recovery  of  his  patients,  the  general  his 
victory,  the  statesman  his  chieftaincy,  the  monarch  his 
rule.  Let  no  one,  therefore,  however  lowly  in  station 
despair  or  scruple  to  become  a  suppliant  of  God."  .  .  . 

PHILO  JUD^US. 

In  the  days  of  Messiah,  says  the  Talmud,  every  kind 
of  altar  gift  shall  cease,  save  only  the  thanksoffering. 

LEAT  God !  my  joyful  thanks  to  Thee 

Shall, like  Thy  gifts,  continual  be; 
In  constant  streams  Thy  bounty  flows, 
No  end  nor  intermission  knows. 

«5 


SWV  AND  SHIELD. 


XV.  £fc  Sfcnfefuf 


That  I  may  make  the  voice  of  thanksgiving  to  be 
heard,  and  tell  of  Thy  wondrous  works.  —  Psalm 
xxvi  7. 

one  should  give  me  a  dish  of  sand,  and  tell  me 
there  were  particles  of  iron  in  it,  I  might  look  for 
them  with  my  eyes  and  search  for  them  with  my 
clumsy  ringers,  and  be  unable  to  detect  them;  but 
let  me  make  a  magnet  and  sweep  through  it,  and 
how  would  it  draw  to  itself  the  almost  invisible 
particles  by  the  mere  power  of  attraction  !  The 
unthankful  heart,  like  my  fingers  in  the  sand,  discover 
no  mercies;  but  let  the  thankful  heart  sweep  through 
the  day,  and  as  the  magnet  finds  the  iron,  so  it  will 
find  in  every  hour  some  heavenly  blessings  —  only  the 
iron  in  God's  hand  is  gold.  H.  W.  BEECHER. 

©THOUSAND  blessings,  Lord,  to  us  Thou  didst  impart  — 
We  ask  one  blessing  more  —  O  Lord  !  a  thankful  heart. 


XVI.          £$e     rdere  of 


Offer  the  sacrifices  of  righteousness  and  put  your 
trust  in  the  Lord.  —  Psalm  iv.  4.  j". 

God  is  in  heaven,  and  thou  art  on  earth  ;  therefore 
let  thy  words  be  few.  —  Ecclesiastes  v.  -?. 


Lacedaemonians,    when     they  offer    sacrifice, 
pray  simply  that  they  may  obtain  what  is  honor- 
able and  good,  without  farther  stating  what  that  should 


16 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

be.  This  language  is  acceptable  to  the  gods,  more  ac- 
ceptable than  the  costly  festivals  of  Athens.  It  has 
procured  for  the  Spartans  more  continued  prosperity 
than  the  Athenians  have  enjoyed;  the  gods  honor  wise 
and  just  men  —  that  is,  men  who  know  what  they  ought 
to  say  and  to  do,  both  towards  God  and  towards  men, 
more  than  those  who  make  numerous  and  splendid 

offerings. 

PLATO. 

3F  thou  hast  yesterday  thy  duty  done, 
And  thereby  cleared  firm  footing  for  to-day, 
Whatever  clouds  make  dark  to-morrow's  sun, 
Thou  shall  not  miss  thy  solitary  way.  —  GOETHE. 

Say,  what  is  prayer  when  it  is  prayer  indeed  ? 
The  mighty  utterance  of  a  mighty  need. 

The  man  is  praying  who  doth  press  with  might 
Out  of  his  darkness  into  God's  own  light. 

All  things  that  live  from  God  their  sustenance  wait, 
And  sun  and,  moon  are  beggars  at  his  gate. 

¥ 


XVII.          £0e  Ooerruftng  (potter. 


The  Lord  is  the  true  God  ;  He  is  the  living  God 
and  King  everlasting.  He  hath  made  the  earth  by 
His  power;  He  hath  established  the  world  by  His 
wisdom,  and  stretched  out  the  heavens  by  His  in- 
sight. —  Jeremiah  x.  10,  12. 


evil-doer,  who  is  a  slave  to  his  passions,  destroys 
the  peace  of  his  soul,  thereby  causing  his  own  un- 
happiness ;  for  harmony  and  unity  are  the  beatitude  of 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

spirits.  But  he  cannot  disturb  the  order  of  the  whole, 
over  which  omnipotence  watches  with  inplacable  vigor ; 
his  actions  must,  in  the  end,  conform  to  God's  all-wise 
intentions.  His  providence  overrules  the  conflict  of 
human  passions  as  well  as  that  of  the  elemental  forces. 
Tyranny  and  lust  serve  His  Divine  behests,  as  does 
thunder  and  earthquakes.  Ultimately  all  evil,  moral 
and  physical,  must  change  into  good  and  all  forces 
chime  in  with  the  great  symphony  of  praise,  sounding 
from  all  parts  of  the  world.  O !  Thou  primal  Source 
of  wisdom,  teach  us  to  be  wise,  that  we  may  be  truly 
happy;  teach  us  to  comprehend  Thy  goodness,  and  to 
enjoy  Thy  blessings,  in  accordance  with  the  kindness 
and  abundance  with  which  Thy  hand  bestows  them  on 
us.  The  trials  of  our  life,  oh,  help  us  to  bear  them 
contentedly,  yea,  even  thankfully ;  since  Thou  canst  do 
no  wrong,  and  all  Thy  decrees  are  done  in  wisdom  and 
in  mercy. 

MOSES  MENDELSSOHN. 


AIT  oh  my  soul,  thy  Maker's  will 
Tumultuous  passions  all  be  still, 
Nor  let  one  murmuring  thought  arise : 
His  ways  are  just,  His  counsels  wise. 

In  heaven  and  earth,  in  air  and  seas. 
He  executes  His  wise  decrees. 
Know  this  alone,  and  be  at  rest 
That  what  He  does  is  ever  best. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XVIII.  (gutting  Wtf0  (Bob. 


Prepare  to  meet  thy  God,  O  Israel ;  for  lo,  He 
that  formeth  the  mountains  and  createth  the  wind,  and 
declareth  unto  man  what  is  his  thought.  .  .  the 
Lord,  the  God  of  hosts  is  His  name. — Amos  iv.  ij. 


'VhHATEVER  Thou  doest  or  proposest  to  do,  forget 
not  that  thou  standest  before  God;  before  Him 
whose  glory  fills  the  earth,  whose  majesty  rules  over 
thee.  Study  the  Divine  Law  as  often  as  possible,  al- 
ways with  the  view  of  ordering  thy  life  in  accordance 
with  it.  When  thou  closest  the  book,  ask  thyself 
whether  there  was  anything  in  what  thou  didst  read 
that  thou  shouldst  carry  out ;  morning  and  evening  ex- 
amine thine  actions  and  try  thy  heart;  so  will  thy 
whole  life  be  pure  by  means  of  repentance.  During 
prayer  remove  every  thought  from  thy  heart  foreign  to 
thy  communion  with  God;  weigh  thy  words  ere  thou 
dost  utter  them,  this  will  put  thy  soul  into  that  state  in 
which  it  is  prepared  to  meet  with  God.  In  general  I 
counsel  thee  to  be  considerate  and  careful  in  thy  speech ; 
not  to  be  hasty  and  thoughtless  whilst  at  thy  meals. 
Shun  the  company  of  the  proud  mocker,  and  walk  thou 
in  humility  with  thy  God ;  then  wilt  thou  pursue  the 
right  path,  and  thy  prayers  will  be  pure  and  acceptable 
in  heaven. 

MOSES  OF  EVREUX, 
(XIII  Century.) 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


/jf\   WHERE'ER  our  path  may  lie, 
^•^t      Father  let  us  not  forget 
That  we  walk  beneath  Thine  eye, 

That  Thy  care  upholds  us  yet. 
Blind  are  we,  and  weak  and  frail, 

Be  Thine  aid  forever  near ; 
May  the  fear  of  sin  prevail 

Over  every  other  fear. 


XIX.      £0e  3ttwtrb  <Wifne00  of 


And  Moses  said  :  I  pray  Thee,  if  I  have  found 
grace  in  Thy  sight,  show  me  now  Thy  way  that  I  may 
know  Thee,  and  ever  find  grace  in  Thy  sight.  And 
He  said  :  My  presence  shall  go  with  thee,  and  I  will 
give  thee  rest.  .  .  Thou  canst  not  see  my  face  ;  for 
there  shall  no  man  see  me  and  live.  —  Exodus  xxxiii. 


H  ENCE  man's  thirst  for  knowledge,  his  joy  in  finding 
truth,  his  gladness  in  doing  good  to  others  ;  above 
all,  whence  this  mysterious  voice  that  tells  him  :  This 
thou  shalt  do,  and  that  thou  shalt  leave  undone?  What 
is  it  that  drives  noble-minded  men  and  women  to  pest- 
breeding  houses,  and  the  more  loathsome  scenes  in  the 
haunts  of  vice,  if  so  be  that  by  their  purity  and  self- 
sacrifice,  they  may  redeem  some  lives  ?  If  this  world  is 
indeed  but  a  soulless  mechanism,  and  no  trace  of  a  God 
to  be  found  anywhere  in  all  its  immensities,  then  man 
is  God  ;  but,  alas  !  not  an  omnipotent,  but  an  impotent 
one.  Woe  to  him  that  he  should  feel  and  think  God- 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

like,  yet  be  at  the  mercy  of  a  stone,  an  insect,  a  microbe. 
Then  reason  is  a  curse,  and  the  feeling  heart  a  calamity. 
.  .  .  But  all  is  changed  the  moment  we  say  to  our 
soul :  Be  still,  my  times  are  in  God's  hands.  Then  we 
see  the  source  whence  our  own  soul-life  flowed.  Over 
the  dark  horizon  breaks  the  central  sun  that  illumines 
the  world,  and  brings  light  and  rest  to  our  own  minds. 

G.  G. 


SOLEMN  thought! 
That  trumpet  sound :  I  ought,  I  ought ! 
Which,  though  a  thousand  times  I  fall, 
Unbroken  keeps  it's  solemn  call ; 
Nor  passion's  storm,  nor  reasoning  art 
Can  silence  in  the  wayward  heart. 


XX.  tyt  (gnoftro 


They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy 
mountain ;  for  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  God  as  waters  cover  the  earth. — Isaiah  xit  g. 


CONTRARY  to  the  idea  of  the  modern  agnostic,  the 
Hebrew  seer  predicts  the  redemption  of  mankind 
from  the  evils  which  stalk  in  its  midst,  as  a  result  of  the 
universal  knowledge  of  God;  so  universal,  indeed,  that, 
as  it  is  said  elsewhere, no  man  will  say  to  his  neighbor: 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

know  God!  For  they  shall  all  know  Him,  from  the  great- 
est even  unto  the  least.  But,  of  course,  we  must 
keep  in  mind  what  kind  of  knowledge  the  prophet  was 
thinking  of.  We  are  not  left  in  doubt  about  this.  Per- 
haps the  most  complete  definition  of  it  is  found  in  the 
declaration :  Let  not  the  wise  man  glory  in  his  wisdom ; 
let  not  the  mighty  man  glory  in  his  might ;  let  not  the 
rich  man  glory  in  his  riches;  let  him  that  glories  glory 
in  this,  that  He  knoweth  Me  and  understandeth  that  I 
am  the  Lord  who  exercises  loving  kindness,  justice  and 
righteousness  in  the  earth,  and  that  in  these  things  I 
delight,  saith  the  Lord  (Jer.  ix.,  23,  24).  We  see  clearly 
that  this  is  not  a  knowledge  pursued  merely  to  flatter 
human  reason,  or  to  place  dominion  into  the  hand  of 
the  powerful,  or  to  enrich  those  that  dispense  wealth; 
no,  but  such  a  knowledge  shall  make  the  throne  of  the 
Allruler  of  the  world  the  seat  of  loving  kindness,  justice 
and  righteousness,  and  all  who  seek  these  graces,  and 
they  alone,  are  the  servants  in  whom  the  Lord  de- 
lighteth. 

G.  G. 


God  appears : 
In  the  best  thought, 
In  the  truest  speech, 
In  the  sincerest  action. 
And  his  bounty 
Is  manifested 
In  the  bounty 
Of  great  hearts. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXI.         QXearer  mj>  d5ob  to 


Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee  ?  and  there  is 
none  upon  earth  whom  I  desire  besides  Thee. — Psalm 
Ixxiii,  25. 


question  is  asked:  Why  is  this  world  unsatisfy- 
ing? It  is  the  grandeur  of  the  soul  which  God  has 
given  us,  which  makes  it  insatiable  in  its  desires — with 
an  infinite  void  which  cannot  be  filled  up,  a  soul  which 
was  made  for  God,  how  can  the  world  fill  it  ?  If  the 
ocean  can  be  still  with  miles  of  unstable  waters  beneath 
it,  then,  the  soul  of  man,  rocking  itself  upon  its  own 
deep  longings,  with  the  Infinite  beneath  it,  may  rest. 
.  .  .  There  is  nothing  left  for  us  but  to  fill  up  the  hol- 
lowness  of  the  soul  with  God. 

But  let  not  that  expression — filling  the  soul  with  God — 
pass  away  without  a  distinct  meaning.  God  is  love  and 
goodness.  Fill  the  soul  with  goodness,  and  fill  the  soul 
with  love — that  is  the  filling  it  with  God.  If  we  love 
one  another  God  dwelleth  within  us. 

F.  W.  ROBERTSON. 

NTO  the  house  of  peace  my  spirit  yearns, 
Unto  the  source  of  being  my  soul  turns ; 
To  where  the  sacred  light  of  heaven  burns, 
She  struggles  thitherward  by  day  and  night. 

To  her  the  wonder  of  God's  works  appear ; 
She  longs  with  fervor  Him  to  draw  anear ; 
The  tidings  of  His  glory  doth  she  hear 

From  morn  to  even  and  trom  night  to  night. — Jehudah  Halevi. 

23 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XXII. 


Therefore  also  now,  saith  the  Lord,  turn  ye  even 
unto  me  with  all  your  heart  and  with  fasting  and 
with  weeping  and  with  mourning;  and  rend  your 
heart  and  not  your  garment ;  for  the  Lord  is  gracious 
and  merciful  .  .  . — Joel  ii.  12,  13. 


not  seek  for  the  City  of  God  on  earth,  for  it  is 
not  built  of  wood  or  stone;  but  seek  it  in  the 
soul  of  the  man  who  is  at  peace  with  himself  and  is  a 
lover  of  true  wisdom. 

If  a  man  practices  ablutions  of  the  body,  but  defiles 
his  mind  ;  if  he  offers  hecatombs,  founds  a  temple, 
adorns  a  shrine,  and  does  nothing  for  making  his  soul 
beautiful;  let  him  not  be  called  religious.  He  has 
wandered  far  from  real  religion,  mistaking  ritual  for  holi- 
ness: attempting,  as  it  were,  to  bribe  the  Incorruptible 
and  to  flatter  Him  whom  none  can  flatter.  God  wel- 
comes the  genuine  service  of  a  soul,  the  sacrifice  of 
truth,  but  from  display  of  wealth  He  turns  away. 

Will  any  man  with  impure  soul  and  with  no  inten- 
tion to  repent,  dare  to  approach  the  most  High  God  ? 
The  grateful  soul  of  the  wise  man  is  the  true  altar  of 

PHILO  JUD^EUS. 
,  were  it  not  for  mercy  such  as  Thine, 
How  could  the  conscious  sinner  seek  Thy  shrine  ? 

How  hope  for  grace,  when  long  arrears  of  sin 

Recorded  stand  upon  the  soul  within  ? 

But  Thou,  O  Lord,  with  clemency  Divine, 

Wilt  not  the  guilty  to  despair  consign. 

24 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXIII.     (Reference  (Bob  dnb  f>efy  (Jtten. 


Ye  are  blessed  of  the  Lord  who  made  heaven 
and  earth.  The  heaven  is  the  heaven  of  God,  but 
the  earth  hath  He  given  to  the  children  of  men. — 
Psalm  cxv.  75,  16. 


AOME  people  attaching  themselves  to  one  portion  of 
the  Decalogue,  neglect  the  other.  For,  rilled  with 
the  unmixed  draught  of  religous  yearning,  they  bid 
farewell  to  all  other  occupations  and  dedicate  their 
whole  life  to  God.  Others,  who  believe  there  is  no  good 
beyond  well-doing  towards  men,  care  only  for  human 
intercourse;  and,  by  their  social  zeal,  share  their  pos- 
sessions with  their  fellows  and  seek  to  alleviate  distress 
to  the  utmost  of  their  power.  Now,  both  the  exclu- 
sive lover  of  man  and  the  exclusive  lover  of  God,  we 
may  rightly  call  half  perfect.  The  perfectly  virtuous 

are  those  who  excel  in  both. 

PHILO  JUD^US. 

Reverence  God  and  help  men  ;  there  is  but  one  fruit 
of  this  earthly  life :    a  holy  disposition  and  social  acts. 

ANTONINUS. 

3N  the  work  that  no  gold  payeth, 
Where  he  speedeth  best  who  prayeth, 
Doeth  most  who  little  sayeth — 

There,  Lord, 
Let  me  work  Thy  will,  O  Lord. 

25 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXIV.         £0e  (Bob  of  f$t  (Boob. 


The  heavens  are  Thine,  the  earth  also  is  Thine  ; 
as  for  the  world  and  the  fullness  thereof,  Thou  hast 
fouuded  it. — Psalm  Ixxxix.  //. 


worship  the  pure  one,  the  Lord  of  Purity.  We 
worship  the  Universe  of  the  true  spirit,  visible  and 
invisible,  and  all  that  sustains  the  welfare  of  the  good 
creation.  We  praise  all  good  thoughts,  all  good  deeds 
which  are  and  will  be;  all  that  keeps  pure,  all  that  is 
good.  We  worship  the  wise  One  who  formed  and  fur- 
thered the  life  of  the  earth.  We  worship  the  wise  One 
with  our  bodies  and  with  our  souls.  We  worship  Him,  as 
being  united  with  the  spirits  of  pure  men  and  women. 

The  world  were  an  empty  tablet  if  Thou  hadst  not 
written  thereon  Thy  eternal  thought.  PERSIAN. 

O  Thou  merciful  One,  who  art  exalted  above  all  im- 
perfections, descend  into  our  intellects  and  purge  us 
from  every  ill.  Turn  our  sorrows  into  joys.  To  Thee 
do  we  cling.  From  Thee  all  kings  seek  their  light. 
Thou  art  the  helper  of  mankind,  one  and  all.  Thou  art 
the  hope  of  the  worlds.  SABIAN  LITURGY. 


are  Thy  glorious  works,  Parent  of  Good, 
Almighty  !     This  Thine  universal  fame, 
Thus  wondrous  fair  ;  Thyself  how  wondrous  then, 
Unspeakable,  who  sitt'st  above  these  heavens, 
To  us  invisible,  or  dimly  seen 
In  these  Thy  lowest  works  !  Yet,  there  declare 
Thy  goodness  beyond  thought  and  power  divine  ! 

26 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXV.     £6e  5)ofp  ctnb  (tttercifuf  (Bob. 


Do  good,  O  Lord,  unto  those  that  be  good  and 
to  them  that  are  upright  in  their  hearts. — Psalm  cxxv.  4. 


of  the  Lord  with  a  good  heart  and  seek  Him 
in  simplicity.  For  He  will  be  found  of  them  that 
tempt  Him  not  and  showeth  Himself  unto  such  as  do 
not  distrust  Him ;  froward  thoughts  separate  from  God ; 
and  His  power,  when  it  is  tried,  reproacheth  the  un- 
wise. Into  a  malicious  soul  wisdom  shall  not  enter,  nor 
dwell  in  the  body  that  is  subject  unto  sin.  .  .  God's 
power  is  the  beginning  of  righteousness;  and  because 
He  is  the  Lord  of  all,  He  is  gracious  unto  all.  Thou, 
O  God,  mastering  Thy  power,  judgest  with  equity  and 
orderest  all  with  great  favor ;  for  Thou  mayest  use  power 
when  Thou  wilt.  But  by  such  works  hast  Thou  taught 
Thy  people  that  the  just  man  should  be  merciful,  and 
hast  made  Thy  children  to  be  of  good  hope  that  Thou 
for  repentance  forgivest  sins.  To  know  Thee  is  perfect 
righteousness ;  yea,  to  know  Thee  is  the  root  of  immor- 
tality. 

FROM  THE  WISDOM  OF  SOLOMON. 


Y  righteousness  we  can  discern, 
Thy  holy  Law  proclaim  and  learn ; 

Is  not  Thy  presence  near  alway, 

To  them  who  penitently  pray  ? 

Thy  holiness  forever  they  proclaim. 

The  Lord  of  Hosts,  thrice  holy  is  His  name. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXVI     ;grom  QUfure  fo  QUfure's  (Sob. 


Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  heaven  is  my  throne  and 
the  earth  is  my  footstool :  where  is  the  house  that  ye 
can  build  unto  me  ? — Isaiah  Ixvi.  i. 

Who  hath  measured  the  waters  as  in  the  hollow 
of  his  hand  and  meted  out  heaven  with  the  span,  and 
comprehended  the  dust  of  the  earth  in  a  measure 
and  weighed  the  mountains  in  scales,  and  the  hills  in 
a  balance  ? — Isaiah  xl.  i2. 


is  a  characteristic  of  the  poetry  of  the  Hebrews, 
that,  as  a  reflex  of  monotheism,  it  always  embraces 
the  universe  in  its  unity,  comprising  both  terrestrial 
life  and  the  luminous  realms  of  space.  It  dwells  but 
rarely  on  the  individuality  of  phenomena,  preferring  the 
contemplation  of  great  masses.  The  Hebrew  poet  does 
not  depict  nature  as  a  self-dependent  object,  glorious 
in  its  individual  beauty,  but  always  in  relation  and 
subjection  to  a  higher  spiritual  power.  .  .  Hebrew 
poetry  is  grand  and  solemn,  but  when  it  treats  on  the 
earthly  condition  of  mankind  it  is  full  of  sad  and  pen- 
sive longing.  It  never  loses  the  restraint  of  measure, 
as  does  the  poetry  of  India.  Devoted  to  the  pure  con- 
templation of  the  Divinity,  it  remains  clear  and  self- 
possessed  in  the  midst  of  the  most  figurative  forms  of 
expression.  ALEXANDER  v.  HUMBOLDT. 

^fr"HE  Lord  is  King !     Lift  up  thy  voice, 
^^     O  earth,  and  all  ye  heavens  rejoice ! 
From  world  to  world  the  joy  shall  ring  ; 
The  Lord  Omnipotent  is  King. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXVII.          £0e  Qjntfg  of 

Hear  O  Israel,  the  Lord,  our  God,  the  Lord  is  One. 


in  this  sentence  is  enclosed  the  kernel  of  our 
teachings  concerning  God,  all  those  know  and  feel 
who  rise  in  the  morning  for  their  daily  work  and  com- 
mend their  spirits  into  God's  hand  every  evening  with 
that  watchword  on  their  lips.  Its  verbal  enclosure  also 
is  worthy  of  our  attention  as  an  expression  of  our  love  to 
God,  as  a  source  of  piety  and  a  refuge  in  the  day  of 
trouble.  Thus  we  say  our  God  !  God  is  the  creator  of 
man,  but  in  a  sense,  man  is  the  creator  of  his  God. 
True,  His  being  is  independent  of  our  knowledge  and 
recognition  ;  yet  He  exists  for  our  soul  only  in  so  far 
as  we  know  Him.  True,  He  is  a  loving  Father  even 
to  those  who  never  know  Him  or  who  deny  Him  ;  just 
as  a  mother  tends  her  babe,  long  before  it  can  reward 
her  love  with  the  faintest  smile  of  recognition.  But  for 
man's  consciousness  God  is  not,  before  his  heart  has  felt 
His  presence,  before  he  can  say  with  those  who  have 
seen  the  father  :  He  is  our  God  and  He  alone,  for  He  is 
One  and  no  other.  .  .  and  not  until  this  joyful  and 
exultant  call  rings  out  from  the  heart  of  mankind,  will 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  be  established  on  earth, 
^  SAMUEL  HOLDHEIM. 

j[T  fortifies  my  soul  to  know 
\J     That,  though  I  perish,  Truth  is  so  : 
That  howso'er  I  stray  and  range, 
Whate'er  I  do,  Thou  dost  not  change. 
I  steadier  step,  when  I  recall 
That,  when  I  slip,  Thou  dost  not  fall. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XXVIII.  £0C  Jop  of 


Then  will  I  go  unto  the  altar  of  God,  unto  God, 
my  exceeding  joy. — Psalm  xliii.  4. 

The    joy  of    God  is    your  strength. — Nehemiah 
viii.  io. 


@LL  these — the  love  of  truth  and  beauty,  of  justice 
and  right,  of  men — are  but  parts  of  the  great  in- 
tegral piety,  the  love  of  God,  the  Author  of  truth,  of 
justice  and  of  love.  The  normal  delight  in  God's  world, 
the  animal  joy  in  material  things,  the  intellectual  in 
truth  and  beauty,  the  moral  in  justice  and  right>  the  af- 
fectional  delight  in  the  persons  of  men,  the  satisfaction 
of  labor,  of  hand  or  head — all  these  are  a  part  of  our 
large  delight  in  God ;  for  religion  is  not  one  thing,  and 
life  another,  but  the  two  are  one.  The  normal  and  con- 
scious worship  of  the  Infinite  God  will  enlarge  every 
faculty,  enhancing  its  quantity  and  quality  of  delight. 
....  I  love  the  Infinite  God  as  the  ideal  of  all  perfec- 
tion. With  this  there  vanishes  away  all  fear  of  ultimate 
evil  for  anything  that  is.  .  .  As  nocturnal  darkness,  or 
the  gray  mist  of  horror,  is  chased  away  before  the  ris- 
ing sun,  so  dread  and  horror  flee  off  before  the  footsteps 
of  love.  A  sense  of  complete  and  absolute  trust  in  God 
comes  in,  gives  repose  and  peace,  filling  you  with  tran- 
quility  and  dear  delight  in  God. 

THEODORE  PARKER. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

THOU,  the  primal  fount  of  life  and  peace, 

Who  shedd'st  Thy  breathing  quiet  all  around, 
In  me  command  that  pain  and  conflict  cease, 
And  turn  to  music  every  jarring  sound. 
So,  firm  in  steadfast  hope,  in  thought  secure, 
In  full  accord  to  all  Thy  world  of  joy, 
May  I  be  nerved  to  labors  high  and  pure, 
And  Thou,  Thy  child,  to  do  Thy  work  employ. 


irif  of 


The  spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me  because  the 
Lord  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto 
the  meek  ;  He  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken 
hearted,  to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the 
opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound.  Isaiah 
Ixi.  i. 

need  is  there  for  us  to  attempt  an  exact  defi- 
nition of  what  this  spirit  of  God  and  what  its 
relation  to  the  Deity  is,  and  by  what  door,  and  in 
what  manner  it  descends  upon  man?  The  signs  of  its 
presence  cannot  be  mistaken;  signs,  not  of  time,  but 
of  eternity  ;  the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and  to-morrow. 
Go  and  bring  good  tidings  to  the  humble  and  the  lowly  ; 
go  and  bind  up  the  broken  hearted  ;  go  and  proclaim 
liberty  to  captives  ;  captives  in  the  fetters  of  sin,  in  the 
chains  of  superstition,  in  the  bonds  of  worldliness;  go, 
if  thou  hast  the  power  to  do  so,  open  the  door  of  their 
prison  and  let  the  slave  go  forth  in  the  power  and 

dignity  of  his  manhood;  and  then  you  shall  know  that 

t 

3' 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

the  spirit  of  God  is  upon  you.  If  you  can  do  this,  there 
will  enter  into  your  heart  a  feeling  of  joy,  of  peace,  and 
of  hope,  such  as  no  other  spiritual  experience  brings; 
and  if  you  are  amongst  those  "  who  mourn  for  Zion," 
it  will  give  you  "  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for 
mourning,  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heavi- 
ness." But  that  sacred  spirit  is  grieved  away  the 
moment  it  is  touched  by  pride,  and  when  you  imagine 
you  can  exorcise  it  by  formulas,  and  retain  it  by  dog- 
matic cords.  The  throne  of  grace  is  either  accessible 
to  all  human  hearts,  or  to  none,  and  the  spirit  of  God 
comes  in  answer  to  all  yearning  prayers,  or  it  is  deaf  to 
all  alike.  Brethren,  it  is  altogether  in  your  hands  to 
find  out  where  the  truth  lies. 

G.  G. 

THOU,  whose  power  o'er  moving  worlds  presides, 
Whose  voice  created  and  whose  wisdom  guides  ; 
'Tis  Thine  alone  to  calm  the  yearning  breast, 
With  silent  confidence  and  holy  rest. 


XXX.         £0e  (gob  of 


Thou  hast  been  our  refuge  in  all  generations,  be- 
fore the  mountains  were  brought  forth,  or  ere  Thou 
hadst  formed  the  earth  and  the  world  —  yea,  from 
eternity  to  eternity  Thou  art  God.  —  Psalm  xc.  1-2. 


[OD  is  eternity — God  is  truth — God  is  holiness,  He  has 
nothing;  he  is  all;  the  whole  heart  conceives  Him, 
but  no  thought;  and  we  are  only  His  thought,  when  He  is 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ours.  All  that  is  infinite  and  incomprehensible  in  man 
is  His  reflection;  but  beyond  this  let  not  the  awestricken 
thought  go.  Creation  hangs  as  a  veil,  woven  out  of 
suns  and  spirits  over  the  infinite ;  and  the  eternities  pass 
by  before  the  veil,  and  cannot  draw  it  away  from  the 

splendor  which  it  hides. 

JEAN  PAUL  F.   RICHTER. 

Every  soul  that  maketh  choice  of  justice,  shall  attain 
unto  God.  From  the  moment  that  I  heard:  "  I  have 
breathed  into  man  a  portion  of  my  spirit, "  I  was  assured 
that  we  were  His  and  He  ours.  Human  knowledge 
and  thought  can  only  spell  the  first  letter  of  the  alpha- 
bet of  God's  love. 

PERSIAN. 

Thou,  the  cool  shade  at  the  door  of  weariness ! 

Even  the  wicked  are  panting  for  Thee. 
A  drop  from  the  rain  of  Thy  compassion 
Cleanses  me  from  all  my  blackness. 
Do  Thou  accept  me  with  Thy  children, 

O  Thou,  my  God,  and  God  of  all ! 

Persian. 


(Wlcm. 


O  Solemn  thought ! 
Gods'  image  in  my  being  wrought ! 
God's  likeness  in  my  frailty  cast ! 
God's  presence,  for  all  space  too  vast, 
Abiding  in  this  little  tent, 
But  for  my  earthly  journey  lent. 

The  place  where  the  repentant  sinner  stands, 
can  not  be  reached  by  him  that  never  sinned. — 
The  Pharisees. 


I.  (QXan— Dinner  <mb 


Wash  me  thoroughly  from  mine  iniquity  and 
cleanse  me  from  my  sin.  For  I  acknowledge  my 
transgressions  and  my  sin  is  ever  before  me. — Psalm 
It.  2,3. 


O  doubt,  we  are  sinners,  all  of  us,  yet  only  because 
we  are  saints  also  ;  nay,  it  may  be  said  in  sober 
truth  that  the  first  pang  of  conscience,  in  the  child  or 
the  child-man,  is  the  first  pulse-beat  of  the  awakening 
saint;  the  first  blush  of  shame,  mantling  his  face  is  the 
streak  of  dawn  of  the  new  day.  It  reveals  to  us  what 
we  ought  to  be  and  might  be ;  and  what  in  part  we  are 
already  ;  the  ever-deepening  sense  of  our  un worthiness 
is  caused  only  by  our  growing  worthiness  and  the  un- 
folding of  the  saint  within  us.  This  is  the  precious 
fruit  of  repentance  and  this  the  reasonableness  of  what, 
otherwise,  would  be  without  reason,  since  no  amount 
of  castigation  can  undo  the  done.  Every  true  con- 
fession of  sin  is  an  homage  to  virtue,  and  also  to  Him 
who  wrought  that  ideal  into  our  nature.  No  doubt,  our 
Creator  meant  us  for  sinners  of  the  saintly  kind,  else 
would  He  have  made  us  "  but  little  lower  than  angels  "  ? 
The  Psalmist  adds  "  and  crowned  him  with  glory  and 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

honor  ;  "  what  is  this  glory,  this  honor  ?  His  imper- 
fections, over  which  he  mourns,  and  changes  into  per- 
fections, whilst  yet  he  is  sitting  in  sackcloth  and  ashes. 

G.  G. 

rthe  path  of  life  to  win  us, 
Thou,  O  God,  didst  plant  within  us 
Aspirations  high  and  bright. 
Bring  us  to  Thy  presence  nearer, 
Let  us  see  Thy  glories  clearer, 
Till  all  mists  shall  melt  in  light. 


(natures  in  (tttan. 

Who  can  know  his  errors  ?  Cleanse  Thou  me,  O 
God,  from  secret  faults !  Keep  back  Thy  servant 
from  presumptuous  sins ;  let  them  not  have  dominion 
over  me ;  then  shall  I  be  upright  altogether,  and  inno- 
cent of  great  transgressions. — Psalm  xix.  12,  fj. 


divine  mind  dwells  with  the  man  of  humble 
spirit,  and  he  who  keepeth  himself  lowly  doth  as 
much,  as  though  he  offered  up  all  the  burnt-sacrifices 
that  ever  were  enjoined. 

It  is  because  man  is  half  angel,  half  brute,  that  his 
inner  life  witnesses  such  bitter  war  between  such  un- 
like natures.  The  brute  in  him  clamors  for  sensual  joy 
and  things  in  which  there  is  only  vanity;  but  the  angel 
resists  and  strives  to  make  him  know  that  meat,  drink, 
sleep,  are  but  means  whereby  the  body  may  be  made 


SC7N  AND  SHIELD. 

sufficient  for  the  study  of  the  truths  and  the  doing  of 
the  will  of  God.  Not  until  the  very  hour  of  death  can 
it  be  certain  or  known  to  what  measure  the  victory  has 
been  won.  He  who  is  but  a  novice  in  the  fear  of  God 
will  do  well  to  say  audibly  each  day,  as  he  rises :  This 
day  will  I  be  a  faithful  servant  of  the  Almighty;  will 
be  on  my  guard  against  wrath,  falsehood,  hatred  and 
quarrelsomeness,  and  will  forgive  those  who  wound  me. 
For  whoso  forgives  is  forgiven  in  his  turn :  hard-hearted- 
ness  and  a  temper  that  will  not  make  up  quarrels  are  a 
heavy  burden  of  sin,  and  unworthy  of  an  Israelite. 
MOSES  BEN  JACOB  OF  COUCY, 

(XIII.  Century). 

AVVOW,  Lord,  what  wait  I  for? 
\i^    On  Thee  alone 
My  hope  is  all  rested, — 

Lord,  seal  me  Thine  own ! 
Only  Thine  own  to  be, 
Only  to  live  to  Thee. 

Thine,  with  each  day  begun, 

Thine,  with  each  set  of  sun, 

Thine,  till  my  work  is  done. 


HI.          jeffofwnen  — 

There  is  not  a  just  man  on  earth  that  doeth  good 
always  and  sinneth  not. — Eccl.  vii.  20. 


Pharisees  taught:  Judge  not  thy  neighbor  be- 
fore thou  hast  placed  thyself  in  his  stead;  after 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

that,  try  to  justify  and  defend  rather  than  to  condemn 
him.  They  point  to  Eli,  the  priest,  as  an  impressive 
warning,  since  he  mistook  for  a  drunken  woman  one 
who  had  come  to  pour  out  the  bitterness  of  her  heart 
before  the  Lord,  simply  because  "her  lips  only  moved, 
but  her  voice  was  not  heard."  In  her  defence  she  used 
the  phrase :  "  Not  so,  my  lord ;  "  words  which  the  rabbis 
construed  into  a  bitter  rebuke,  reading  it  in  this  way : 
Thou  art  not  a  true  lord  and  master  in  Israel,  since 
thou  didst  rashly  condemn  me  instead  of  judging  me  on 
the  side  of  innocence.  Strange  and  passing  strange  it 
is  that  whilst  men  insist  upon  the  utter  sinfulness  of 
man  as  the  cornerstone  of  the  kingdom  of  the  grace  of 
heaven,  the  same  fact  so  rarely  avails  to  open  the  gates 
of  man's  own  kingdom  of  mercy  towards  his  fallen 
brother!  In  a  sinking  ship  or  a  burning  house  or  a 
pest-stricken  city  we  stop  not  to  ask  who,  amongst  the 
imperilled,  is  an  adopted  child  of  God,  and  who  is  not — 
we  save  whom  we  can.  We  are  all  surrounded  by  the 
same  dangers  whilst  we  dwell  on  earth,  and  travel  to- 
wards "  the  unknown  and  yet  well-known  gate."  Why 
does  not  the  same  generous  impulse,  which  wakes  up 
only  sometimes,  dominate  our  hearts  always  and  make 
us  merciful  towards  our  fellow-sinners  ? 

G.  G. 

AIL  creatures  are  we  all !     To  be  the  best 
Is  but  the  fewest  faults  to  have  : — 
Look  thou,  then,  to  thyself,  and  leave  the  rest 
To  God,  thy  conscience,  and  the  grave. 


40 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


IV  £0e  (pure 


Create  in  me  a  pure  heart,  O   God,  and  a  firm 
spirit  renew  within  me. — Psalms  li.  12. 


is  a  well-known  saying  of  our  sages.  "  The 
thoughts  about  committing  a  sin  are  a  greater 
evil  than  the  sin  itself."  I  can  offer  a  good  explanation 
of  this  strange  dictum.  When  a  person  is  disobedi- 
ent, this  is  due  to  certain  accidents  connected  with  the 
corporal  element  in  his  constitution ;  for  man  sins  only 
by  his  animal  nature ;  whereas  thinking  is  a  faculty  con- 
nected with  his  higher  and  essential  being.  A  person 
who  thinks  sinful  thoughts  sins,  therefore,  by  means  of 
the  nobler  portion  of  his  self;  just  as  he  who  causes  an 
ignorant  slave  to  work  unjustly,  commits  a  lesser  wrong 
than  he  who  forces  a  free  man  or  a  prince  to  do  menial 
labor.  That  which  forms  the  true  nature  of  man,  with 
all  its  properties  and  powers,  should  only  be  employed 
in  suitable  work,  in  endeavoring  to  join  higher  beings, 
and  not  to  sink  to  the  condition  of  lower  creatures. 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

U  can  never  tell  what  your  thoughts  will  do 
In  bringing  you  hate  or  love ; 
For  thoughts  are  things,  and  their  airy  wings 

Are  swifter  than  carrier  dove. 
They  follow  the  law  of  the  universe — 

Each  thing  must  create  its  kind ; 
And  they  speed  o'er  the  track  to  bring  you  back 
Whatever  went  out  from  your  mind. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

V.  £0e  (pure  &t 


Then  I  said :  woe  is  me,  I  am  undone;  because  I 
am  a  man  of  unclean  lips,  and  I  dwell  amidst  a  people 
of  unclean  lips  and  mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King, 
the  Lord  of  hosts. — Isaiah  m.  t>. 


know  we  condemn  lowness  of  speech,  and  justly 
so ;  for  the  gift  of  speech  is  peculiar  to  man,  and  a 
boon  which  God  granted  to  him,  that  he  may 
be  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  living  creatures. 
This  gift,  therefore,  which  God  gave  us  in  order  to 
enable  us  to  perfect  ourselves,  to  learn  and  to  teach, 
must  not  be  employed  in  doing  that  which  is  for  us 
most  degrading  and  disgraceful.  We  must  not  imitate 
the  s,ongs  and  tales  of  ignorant  and  lascivious  people.  It 
may  be  suitable  to  them,  but  it  is  not  fit  for  those  who 
are  told:  "And  ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of 
priests  and  a  holy  nation." — (Exodus  xix.  6.) 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

In  the  last  Day  man  shall  have  to  render  an  ac 
count  for  every  word  he  has  spoken,  even  in  his  most 
intimate  relations,  as  that  of  husband  and  wife. — 

The  Pharisees. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

VI.  £0e  (BUrcifuf 


If  I  have  made  the  eyes  of  the  widow  to  fail,  or 
have  eaten  my  morsel  myself  alone,  and  the  fatherless 
hath  not  eaten  thereof— If  I  have  lifted  up  my  hand 
against  him  when  I  saw  my  help  in  the  gate — then  let 
mine  arm  fall  from  my  shoulder  blade  and  be  broken 
from  the  bone. — Job  xxxi.  fj-f.f- 


is  a  large  class  of  Laws  in  our  Torah,  the 
sole  purpose  of  which  is  to  fill  our  hearts  with  pity 
for  the  poor  and  infirm,  to  teach  us  never  to  hurt 
their  feelings,  nor  wantonly  to  vex  the  helpless. 
Mercy,  likewise,  is  the  object  of  the  ordinance,  "Thou 
shalt  not  deliver  unto  his  master  the  slave  that  is  fled 
from  his  scourge."  But  in  a  wider  sense,  we  derive 
from  this  example  the  duty  to  defend  those  who  seek 
our  protection;  nay,  more,  we  must  look  after  their 
interests,  be  kind  to  them  and  never  hurt  their  feelings 
by  harsh  and  cruel  words. 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

U  can  never  tell  when  you  do  an  act 
Just  what  the  result  will  be ; 
But  with  every  deed  you  are  sowing  a  seed, 

Though  its  harvest  you  may  not  see. 
Each  kindly  act  is  a  acorn  dropped 

In  God's  productive  soil : 

Though  you  may  not  know,  yet  the  tree  shall  grow 
And  shelter  the  brows  that  toil. 

43 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
VII. 


Thou    foundest    Abraham's   heart    faithful  before 
Thee. — Nehemiah  ix.  8. 


thoughts  of  thy  heart  and  the  imaginations  of 
thy  soul  remain  pure  if  the  works  of  thy  hands  be 
pure.  Fly  from  all  unseemly  things;  close  thine  eyes 
and  thine  ears  from  them ;  for  there  be  desires  which 
cause  the  soul  to  be  apostate  from  God. 

Bear  well  thy  heart  against  the  assails  of  envy ;  know 
no  envy  at  all,  save  such  envy  of  the  merits  of  virtuous 
men  as  shall  lead  thee  to  emulate  the  beauty  of  their 
lives. 

Surrender  not  thyself  a  slave  to  hate — that  ruin  of  all 
the  heart's  good  resolves,  that  destroyer  of  the  very  sa- 
vor of  food,  of  our  sleep,  of  all  reverence  in  our  souls. 

Let  the  fear  of  God  breed  in  thee  the  habit  of  silence, 
for  much  speech  can  hardly  be  without  some  sin.  Let 
this  be  thy  rule :  Moderate  thought  in  modest  words. 

If  the  peoples  had  fallen  on  thee  to  force  thee  to  apos- 
tatize from  thy  faith,  thou  wouldst  surely,  as  did  so 
many,  have  given  thy  life  in  its  defense.  Well,  then, 
fight  now  the  fight  laid  on  thee  in  the  better  day — the 
fight  with  evil  desires;  fight  and  conquer  and  make  the 
study  of  the  Law  thy  constant  ally. 

ELEAZAR  BEN  YEHUDAH, 

(XIII.  Century}. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

'IS  death  in  life  Thy  standard  to  desert ; 
'Tis  life  in  death  Thy  power  to  assert. 
Yet  passeth  me,  how  I  Thy  grace  shall  gain, 
How  prove  my  faith,  Thy  service  how  attain  ? 
Lead  me,  O  Lord !  upon  Thy  tranquil  way, 
Deliver  me  from  folly's  tempting  way. 


VIH. 


Ye  shall  not  go  after  the  lusting  of  your  hearts  and 
your  eyes. — Numbers  xv.  39. 


(\Y|  AN  must  have  control  over  all  bodily  desires.  He 
^-  must  reduce  them  as  much  as  possible,  and  only 
retain  of  them  as  much  as  is  indispensable.  His  aim 
must  be  the  aim  of  man,  as  man,  viz. :  the  formation  and 
perfection  of  ideas,  and  nothing  else.  The  best  and  the 
sublimest  among  them  is  the  idea  which  man  forms  of 
God,  angels,  and  the  rest  of  the  creation,  according  to 
his  capacity.  Such  men  are  always  with  God,  and  of 
them  it  is  said:  "Ye  are  princes,  and  all  of  you  are 
children  of  the  Most  High."  .  .  When  man  possesses 
a  good,  sound  body  that  does  not  overpower,  nor  dis- 
turb the  equilibrium  within  him,  he  possesses  a  divine 
gift.  A  good  constitution  facilitates  the  rule  of  the 
soul  over  the  body;  but  it  is  not  impossible  to  conquer 
a  bad  constitution  by  training,  and  make  it  subservient 
to  man's  ultimate  destiny. 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

45 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Among  the  numerous  religious  and  monastic  orders 
of  the  Moslems,  there  is  one  whose  symbol  is  the  mystic 
girdle,  which  they  put  on  and  off  seven  times,  saying: 

3  TIE  up  greediness  and  unbind  generosity ; 
I  tie  up  anger  and  unbind  meekness ; 
I  tie  up  avarice  and  unbind  piety  ; 
I  tie  up  ignorance  and  unbind  the  fear  of  God  ; 
I  tie  up  passion  and  unbind  the  love  of  God ; 
I  tie  up  hunger  (after  luxuries)  and  unbind  contentment ; 
I  tie  up  satanism  and  unbind  divineness. 


IX. 


I  delight  to  do  Thy  will,  O  God,  yea,  Thy  Law  is 
within  my  heart.  —  Psalm  xl.  8. 


has  granted  no  monopoly  in  mental  freedom. 
Men  of  all  sects,  all  schools,  all  churches,  all  sys- 
tems may  possess  it,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  do  possess 
it  in  greater  or  lesser  measure.  It  is  pure  arrogance 
for  any  one  class  to  claim  it  for  themselves  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  all  others.  If  a  man  holds  on  to  the  literal 
inspiration  of  his  Bible,  simply  because  his  reason  gives 
her  glad  and  willing  assent  to  the  inherited  belief,  is  he, 
on  that  ground,  less  free  in  his  mind  than  he  who  re- 
jects it,  often  from  mere  wantonness?  If  the  Jew  still 
bears  "the  Yoke  of  the  Law, "with  all  its  rabbinical 
accumulations  and  "fencings  round  it" — if  he  does  so 


SUN -AND  SHIELD. 

in  singleness  of  heart — does  he,  therefore,  cease  to  enjoy 
that  liberty  of  soul  which  is  still  his,  who  has  cast  off  the 
yoke  simply  because  the  restrictions  inconvenienced 
him  ?  It  is  not  the  what  of  our  beliefs  or  unbeliefs,  but 
the  why  and  the  wherefore,  that  makes  the  difference 
between  bond  and  free.  The  savage  is  not  hampered 
by  any  sense  of  obligation ;  shall  we,  therefore,  call  him 
the  ideal  of  soul — liberty? 

G.  G. 

^frS  earth's  pageant  passes  by, 
\vjr     Let  reflection  turn  thine  eye 
Inward,  and  observe  Thy  breast; 
There  alone  dwells  solid  rest. 
That's  a  closed  immured  tower, 
Which  can  mock  all  hostile  power ; 
To  thyself  a  tenant  be, 
And  inhabit  safe  and  free. 

¥ 

X.  Confrof  dnb  Cfeanftne00. 

Wash  you,  make  you  clean  ;  put  away  the  evil  of 
your  doings  from  before  mine  eyes.  Learn  to  do 
good. — Isaiah  i.  16. 


of  the  objects  of  the  perfect  Law  is  to  make  man 
reject,  disregard,  and  reduce  his  desires  as  much  as 
possible.  For  it  is  well  known  that  intemperate  indul- 
gence of  our  appetites  hinders  the  ulterior  perfection  of 
man,  impedes  his  development,  disturbs  the  social  order 
of  the  country,  and  the  economy  of  the  family;  it  causes 


47 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

an  increase  of  envy,  hatred,  and  warfare.  God  in  His 
wisdom,  has  therefore  given  us  such  commandments  as 
would  counteract  excessive  desires  and  lustings. 

Most  of  all,  the  Law  is  intended  to  give  its  followers 
purity  and  holiness.  .  .  Cleanliness  in  dress  and  body, 
by  washing  and  removing  of  impurities  is  enjoined  by 
the  law;  but  it  must  be  connected  with  purity  of  action, 
and  with  a  heart  free  from  low  principles  and  bad  hab- 
its. It  would  be  extremely  bad  for  man  to  content  him- 
self with  a  purity  obtained  by  washing  and  cleanliness 
in  dress  and  toilet,  and  be  at  the  same  time  voluptuous 
and  unrestrained  in  eating,  drinking,  and  other  gratifica- 
tions of  the  senses. 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

rise  by  the  things  that  are  under  feet, 
By  what  we  have  mastered  of  good  or  gain  ; 
By  the  pride  deposed  and  the  passion  slain, 
And  the  vanquished  ills  that  we  hourly  meet. 


XI. 


Turn  Thou  us  unto  Thee,  O  Lord,  and  we  shall 
be  turned  ;  renew  our  days  as  of  old.  —  Lamentations 

V.  21. 

From  Thee  I  take  refuge  to  Thee.  — 

(SALOMON  IBN  GABIROL.) 


HQlHILE    sin  is  swift  and  continuous   and  frequent, 
repentance  is  slow  and  deliberate  and  in  the  fu- 
ture.    God,  the  pitying  saviour,  can  easily  bring  back 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

the  mind  from  long  wandering,  and  when  it  is  in  an 
evil  plight  through  pleasure  and  passion — pitiless  ty- 
rants that  they  are — and  lead  it  into  the  right  way,  if 
only  it  has  once  determined  to  pursue  the  good  flight 
without  turning  backward. 

The  wicked  man  bears  ruin  within  him;  for  there 
dwells  within  him  a  designing  foe.  The  conscience  of 
the  evil-doer  is  his  sufficient  punishment ;  it  makes  the 
soul  cowardly  as  if  it  had  been  struck  a  heavy  blow. 

Conscience  is  the  undefiled  high-priest  for  whose 
perpetual  life  within  the  soul  we  shall  do  well  to  pray. 

PHILO  JUD^EUS. 

/jfNBSERVE  a  pious  fear,  be  whole  again, 
^•^     Hasten  to  purge  thy  heart  from  every  stain ; 
No  more  from  prayer  and  penitence  refrain, 
But  turn  unto  Thy  God  by  day  and  night. 


XII. 


if g  of  JSouf, 


Let  integrity  and  uprightness    preserve   me  as  I 
wait  on  Thee,  O  God. — Psalm  xxv.  21. 

He  that   walketh     uprightly,  walketh    surely. — 
Prov.  x.  g. 

The  integrity  of  the  upright  shall  guide  them. — 
Prov.  xi.    >. 


can  produce  so  great  a  serenity  of  life,  as 
a  mind  free  from  guilt,   and  kept  untainted  not 
only  from  actions,  but  purposes  that  are  wicked.     By 


49 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

this  means  the  soul  will  be  not  only  unpolluted,  but  not 
disturbed;  the  fountain  will  run  clear  and  unsullied, 
and  the  streams  that  flow  from  it  will  be  just  and  hon- 
est deeds,  ecstasies  of  satisfaction,  a  brisk  energy  of 
spirit,  which  makes  a  man  an  enthusiast  in  his  joy,  and 
of  a  tenacious  memory,  sweeter  than  hope.  For  as  shrubs 
which  are  cut  down  with  the  morning  dew  upon  them, 
do  for  a  long  time  after  retain  their  fragrancy,  so  the 
good  actions  of  a  wise  man  perfume  his  mind  and  leave 
a  rich  scent  behind  them.  So  that  joy  is,  as  it  were, 
watered  with  these  essences,  and  owes  its  flourishing  to 

them. 

PLUTARCH. 

|f\OW  happy  is  he  born  or  taught, 
P!)     Who  serveth  not  another's  will; 
Whose  armor  is  his  honest  thought, 
And  simple  truth  his  highest  skill. 


XIII. 


Trust  in  the  Lord  and  do  good  ;  so  shalt  thou 
dwell  in  the  land,  and  verily  thou  shalt  be  satisfied. 
.  .  Commit  thy  self  unto  the  Lord,  trust  in  Him,  and 
He  shall  bring  it  to  pass.  —  Psalms  xxxvii,  j,  5. 


soul  can  only  be  disappointed  by  its  own  faults. 
Duties  faithfully  performed  are  ever   faithful  to 
their  promises  of  recompense  ;  only  we  must  know  what 


so 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

these  are,  and  where  to  look  for  them.  Trust  in  God 
is  not  a  narcotic  to  lull  our  faculties  to  sleep;  it  should, 
on  the  contrary,  energize  them.  Our  own  activity  is  a 
necessary  factor  in  the  Providence  of  God;  very  little 
can  be  done  for  us  by  proxy.  Even  the  Omnipotent 
cannot  make  us  contented  with  our  condition  if  we 
prefer  to  be  discontented  ;  cannot  give  us  a  minute  of 
true  happiness,  though  He  place  us  in  a  paradise,  if  we 
choose  to  be  unhappy;  merciful  as  He  is,  He  cannot 
wipe  out  the  record  of  our  sins,  if  we  fail  to  store  up 
memories  of  the  better  and  the  purer  life.  If  we 
make  gold  our  god,  He  will  let  us  ;  but  He  cannot  help  us 
when  that  traitor-god  becomes  our  tormentor  and  we 
his  helpless  slaves.  Blessed  he  whose  God-trust  and 
self-trust  are  so  happily  blended  and  harmonized  that 
he  can  say  : 


my  best,  is  for  myself  the  best 
In  great  things  as  in  small  ; 
Then  trusting  in  Him  who  ruleth  all 
Will  soothe  the  weary  soul  to  rest.  G.  G. 


XIV.  (tticariouB  £otfet6. 


If  thou  enjoy  the  toil  of  thy  hand,  happy  art  thou 
and  it  will  be  well  with  thee.  —  Psalms  cxxviii.  2. 
The  Rabbis  explain  as  follows  :  happy,  that  is  in  this 
life  —  well,  that  is  in  the  life  to  come; 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


men  deserve  to  be  honored,  and  no  third 
First,  the  toil-worn  craftsman  who  with  earth- 
made  implements  laboriously  conquers  the  earth,  and 
makes  her  man's  vassal.  Venerable  is  the  hard  hand, 
but  therein,  notwithstanding,  lies  a  cunning  virtue, 
indefeasibly  royal.  Venerable,  too,  is  the  rugged  face, 
all  weather-tanned,  with  its  rude  intelligence,  for  it  is 
the  face  of  a  man  living  man-like.  Oh,  thou  son  of 
hardy  toil,  for  us  was  thy  back  so  bent,  for  us  were  thy 
straight  limbs  and  ringers  so  deformed.  Thou  wert  our 
conscript  on  whom  the  lot  fell,  and  righting  our  battles 
wert  thou  so  marred.  For,  in  thee,  too,  lay  a  God- 
created  form,  but  it  was  not  to  be  unfolded;  encrusted 
with  the  thick  adhesions  and  defacements  of  labor  must 
it  stand.  And  thy  body,  like  thy  soul,  was  not  to  know 
freedom.  Yet  toil  on  ;  thou  art  in  thy  duty,  be  out  of  it 
who  may;  thou  toilest  for  the  indispensable  —  for  daily 
bread. 

THOMAS  CARLYLE. 

.CALL  TO  WORK. 

@BIDE  not  in  the  realm  of  dreams, 
O  man,  however  fair  it  seems  ; 
But  with  clear  eye  the  present  scan 
And  hear  the  call  of  God  and  man. 

Then  while  day  lingers  do  thy  best, 
Full  soon  the  night  will  bring  its  rest  ; 
And,  duty  done,  that  rest  shall  be 
Full  of  beatitudes  to  thee. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XV.  goffer*  of 


The  blessing  of  him  that  was  nigh  to  perish  came 
upon  me,  and  I  caused  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for 
joy.  I  was  eyes  to  the  blind,  and  feet  was  I  to  the 
lame. — Job  xxix,  75%  75*. 

He  that  openly  correcteth  a  man  shall  in  the  end 
find  more  favor  than  he  that  flattereth  with  his 
tongue. — Proverb  xxviii.  23. 


SECOND  man  I  honor,  and  still  more  highly; 
him  who  is  seen  toiling  for  the  spiritually  indis- 
pensable ;  not  daily  bread,  but  the  bread  of  life.  Is  not 
he,  too,  in  his  duty?  endeavoring  toward  inward  har- 
mony; revealing  this,  by  act  or  by  word,  through  all 
his  outward  endeavors,  be  they  high  or  low?  Highest 
of  all,  when  his  outward  and  his  inward  endeavor  are 
one;  when  we  can  name  him  artist;  not  earthly  crafts- 
man only,  but  inspired  thinker,  who,  with  heaven-made 
implements,  conquers  heaven  for  us.  If  the  poor  and 
humble  toil  that  we  have  food,  need  not  the  high  and 
glorious  toil  for  him  in  return,  that  we  have  light,  have 
guidance,  freedom,  immortality? 

THOMAS  CARLYLE. 


mighty  men  of  old, 
Their  words  were  vital  breath  ; 
Bestowing  faithfulness  in  life 
And  fearlessness  in  death. 


53 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XVI. 


The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the 
soul ;  the  testimony  of  the  Lord  is  sure,  making  wise 
the  simple.  The  statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  re- 
joicing the  heart  ;  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  is 
pure,  enlightening  the  eyes. — Psalm  xix.  7,  8. 


laws  do  not  call  men  to  misanthropy,  but  en- 
courage people  to  share  what  they  have  with  one 
another  freely,  to  be  enemies  to  injustice  and  eager  for 
righteousness,  to  banish  idleness  and  expensive  living. 
They  forbid  making  war  from  a  desire  of  lucre ;  but 
bid  us  to  be  brave  in  defending  our  laws  and  inexora- 
ble in  punishing  malefactors.  And  I  make  bold  to 
say  that  we  are  become  the  teachers  of  men  in  the  great- 
est number  of  things,  and  those  the  most  excellent. 
For  what  is  more  excellent  than  inviolable  piety? 
What  is  more  just  than  obedience  to  the  laws?  And 
what  is  more  advantageous  than  mutual  love  and  con- 
cord, and  neither  to  be  divided  by  calamities,  nor  to  be- 
come injurious  and  seditious  in  prosperity;  to  despise 
death  when  we  are  in  war,  and  in  peace  to  apply  our- 
selves to  trade  and  agriculture ;  while  we  are  persuaded 
that  God  surveys  and  directs  everything  everywhere. 

FLAVIUS  JOSEPHUS. 

E  light  pours  down  from  heaven 
And  enters  where  it  may ; 
The  eyes  of  all  earth's  children 
Are  cheered  with  one  bright  ray. 

54 


SUN  AND  SHIELD, 


So  let  the  mind's  true  sunshine 
Be  spread  o'er  earth  as  free, 

And  fill  men's  waiting  spirits, 
As  the  waters  fill  the  sea. 


XVII.          tty.  $&uing0  of  got*. 


Better  is  a  dry  morsel  and  quiet  therewith,  than  a 
house  full  of  feastings  and  strife  therewith. — Prov. 


thy  neighbor  as  thyself  "  is  one  of  the  chief 
commandments  of  God;  yet,  more  weighty  than 
this  is  the  principle  contained  in  the  sentence  of  Scrip- 
ture: "  These  are  the  generations  of  Adam,"  preceding 
the  first  genealogy  of  man;  for  then  only  will  the 
law  of  love  obtain  its  full  scope,  when  we  believe  that 
all  men  are  members  of  the  same  human  family." 

BEN  ASAI,  II.  CENTURY. 

The  spirit  of  love  wherever  it  is,  is  its  own  blessing 
and  happiness,  because  it  is  the  truth  and  reality  of  God 
in  the  soul;  and  therefore  is  in  the  same  joy  of  life,  and 
is  the  same  good  to  itself  everywhere  and  on  every  oc- 
casion. Would  you  know  the  blessings  of  all  blessings? 
It  is  this  God  of  Love  dwelling  in  your  soul,  and  kill- 
ing every  root  of  bitterness,  which  is  the  pain  and  tor- 
ment of  every  earthly,  selfish  love.  For  all  wants  are 
satisfied,  all  disorders  of  nature  are  removed,  no  life  is 


55 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

any  longer  a  burden,  every  day  is  a  day  of  peace,  every- 
thing you  meet  becomes  a  help  to  you,  because  every- 
thing you  see  or  do  is  all  done  in  the  sweet,  gentle  ele- 
ment of  Love. 

WILLIAM  LAW. 

A  poor  man  with  a  single  handful  of  flowers  heaped 
the  almsbowl  of  Buddha,  which  the  rich  could  not  fill 
with  a  thousand  bushels  of  corn ! 

CHINESE. 


XVIII.    £0e  TJto    of  ffle 


And  wisdom  and  knowledge  shall  be  the  stability 
of  thy  times  and  the  strength  of  thy  safety  ;  and  the 
fear  of  God  thy  treasure.  —  Isaiah  xxxiii.  6. 


thread  on  which  the  different  good  qualities  of 
human  beings  are  strung,  as  .pearls,  is  the  Fear 
of  God.  When  the  fastenings  of  this  fear  are  unloosed, 
the  pearls  roll  in  all  directions,  and  are  lost  one  by  one. 
A  single  moral  fault,  even  if  small,  may  be  the  ruin  of 
many  virtues,  just  as  the  best  of  wine  may  escape  from 
a  vessel  through  one  little  hole  overlooked.  The  human 
heart  is  like  a  tablet  as  yet  unwritten ;  fools  scratch  it 
all  over  and  ruin  it ;  only  the  wise  know  how  to  fill  it 
with  suitable  matter.  Never  be  ashamed  to  learn  even 
from  less  men  than  thyself. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

When  thou  seest  that  men  are  not  what  they  should 
be,  do  not  rejoice  over  the  fact,  but  grieve  and  pray, 
even  on  thy  enemies'  behalf,  that  they  may  all  learn  to 
forsake  evil,  to  do  good,  and  to  serve  God. 

God  often  helps  thee  in  small  matters  which  thou 
dost  not  think  worth  thanking  for,  only  to  lead  thee 
towards  a  much  greater  good. 

JEWISH  BOOK  OF  MORALS, 

(XV.  Century). 

iETWEEN  us  and  Thyself  remove 
Whatever  hindrances  may  be, 
That  so  our  inmost  heart  may  prove 
A  holy  temple,  meet  for  Thee. 


XIX. 


He  judged  the  cause  of  the  needy  and  the  poor; 
then  it  was  well  with  him  :  was  not  this  to  know  ?  — 
Jeremiah  xxii.  16. 


son,  give  God  all  honor  and  the  gratitude  which 
is  His  due.  Thou  hast  need  of  Him,  but  he 
needs  thee  not.  Fear  the  Lord,  the  God  of  thy  fathers. 
See  that  thou  guard  thy  soul's  holiness,  and  when  thou 
prayest,  think  well  before  whom  it  is  thou  standest. 
Visit  the  sick  and  suffering  man  and  let  thy  counte- 
nance be  cheerful  when  he  sees  it,  but  not  so  that  thou 
oppress  the  helpless  one  with  gaiety.  Respect  the  poor 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

man  by  gifts  whose  hand  he  knows  not  of.  Rather 
feed  thyself  with  vilest  weed  than  make  thyself  depend- 
ent on  other  human  beings.  Seek  not  greedily  after 
power  and  pre-eminence  in  the  world.  Spend  not  thy 
time  among  people  who  speak  ill  of  their  brother-man. 
Be  not  as  the  fly  that  is  always  seeking  sick  and 
wounded  places.  Dare  not  to  rejoice  when  thine 
enemy  comes  to  the  ground,  but  give  him  food  when 
he  hungers.  Purge  thy  soul  from  angry  passion,  that 
inheritance  of  fools.  Love  the  society  of  wise  men, 
and  strive  to  know  more  and  more  of  the  ways  and  the 
works  of  thy  Creator. 

ELIAZAR  BEN  ISAAC, 

(XI.  Century). 

LDOM  can  a  heart  be  lonely, 
If  it  seek  a  lonelier  still — 
Self-forgetting,  seeking  only 
Emptier  cups  of  love  to  fill. 


XX.          £0e  @Upmitiott  of 


Blessed  is  the  man  whose  strength  is  in  Thee,  O 
God,  because  Thy  ways  are  in  his  heart.  He 
goes  from  strength  to  strength  till  he  appears  before 
God  in  Zion.  —  Psalm  Ixxxiv.  5,  7. 


hearts  are  never  long  without  hearing  some 
new  call,   some   distant   clarion   of  God,  even  in 
their  dreams  ;  and  soon  they  are  observed  to  break  up 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

the  camp  of  ease,  and  start  on  some  fresh  march  of 
faithful  service.  And,  looking  higher  still,  we  find 
those  who  never  wait  till  their  moral  work  accumulates, 
and  who  reward  resolution  with  no  rest  ;  with  whom, 
therefore,  the  alternation  is  instantaneous  and  constant  ; 
who  do  the  good  only  to  see  the  better,  and  see  the 
better  only  to  achieve  it  ;  who  are  too  meek  for  trans- 
port, too  faithful  for  remorse,  too  earnest  for  repose  ; 
whose  worship  is  action,  and  whose  action  ceaseless 
aspiration. 

J.  MARTINEAU. 
(Y)  EST  not  !     Life  is  sweeping  by, 
\ZS'     Go  and  dare  before  you  die  ; 
Something  mighty  and  sublime 
Leave  behind  to  conquer  time  ; 
Glorious  't  is  to  live  for  aye 
When  these  forms  have  passed  away. 

¥ 

xxi. 


Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death  I  fear  no  evil,  for  Thou,  O  God,  art  with  me  ; 
Thy  rod  and  Thy  staff,  they  shall  comfort  me.  — 
Psalm  xxiii.  4. 

God  is  the  strength  of  my  heart  and  my  portion 
for  ever.  —  Psalm  IxxiiL 


life  is  but  the  fore-court  of  the  Palace  above  ; 
prepare   thyself   so  that  thy  soul   enter  worthily 
the  Palace. 

CHAPTERS  OF  THE  JEWISH  FATHERS. 


59 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


nature's  works  be  good  and  death  doth  serve 
As  nature's  work,  why  should  we  fear  to  die  ? 
Since  fear  is  vain  but  when  it  may  preserve, 

Why  should  we  fear  that  which  we  cannot  fly  ? 
Fear  is  more  pain  than  is  the  pain  it  fears 

Disarming  human  minds  of  native  weight  ; 
While  each  conceit  an  ugly  figure  bears 

Which  were  not  evil,  well  viewed  in  reason's  light. 
Our  owly  eyes,  which  dimmed  with  fashion  be, 

Can  scarce  discern  the  dawn  of  coming  day, 
Let  them  be  cleared  and  now  begin  to  see, 

Our  life  is  but  a  step  in  dusty  way. 
Then  let  us  hold  the  bliss  of  peaceful  mind, 
Since  this  we  feel,  great  loss  we  cannot  find. 

SIR  PHILIP  SIDNEY. 


XXll. 


I  shall  not  die,  but  live  and  declare  the  works  of 
the  Lord. — Psalm  cxviii.  77. 


FEEL  in  myself  the  future  life.  I  am  like  a  forest 
which  has  been  more  than  once  cut  down.  The 
new  shoots  are  stronger  and  livelier  than  ever :  I  am 
rising,  I  know,  toward  the  sky.  The  sunshine  is  on 
my  head.  The  earth  gives  me  its  generous  sap,  but 
heaven  lights  me  with  the  reflection  of  unknown  worlds. 
You  say  the  soul  is  nothing  but  the  resultant  of  bodily 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

powers.  Why,  then,  is  my  soul  the  more  luminous 
when  my  bodily  powers  begin  to  fail?  Winter  is  on 
my  head,  and  eternal  spring  is  in  my  heart.  There  I 
breathe  at  this  hour  the  fragrance  of  the  lilacs,  the  vio- 
lets, and  the  roses  as  at  twenty  years.  The  nearer  I  ap- 
proach the  end,  the  plainer  I  hear  around  me  the  im- 
mortal symphonies  of  the  worlds  which  invite  me.  It 
is  marvelous,  yet  simple.  It  is  a  fairy  tale,  and  it  is 
history.  For  half  a  century  I  have  been  writing  my 
thoughts  in  prose  and  verse:  history,  philosophy, 
drama,  romance,  tradition,  satire,  ode,  and  song, — I 
have  tried  all.  But  I  feel  I  have  not  said  the  thousandth 
part  of  what  is  in  me.  When  I  go  down  to  the  grave,  I 
can  say,  like  so  many  others,  "  I  have  finished  my  day's 
work;  "  but  I  cannot  say,  "  I  have  finished  my  life." 
My  day's  work  will  begin  again  the  next  morning.  The 
tomb  is  not  a  blind  alley:  it  is  a  thoroughfare.  It 
closes  on  the  twilight  to  open  with  the  dawn.  I  im- 
prove every  hour  because  I  love  this  world  as  my  father- 
land, and  because  the  truth  compels  me.  My  work  is 
only  a  beginning.  My  monument  is  hardly  above  its 
foundations.  I  would  be  glad  to  see  it  mounting  and 
mounting  forever.  The  thirst  for  the  infinite  proves 
infinity. 

VICTOR  HUGO. 

5  ROM  night  to  light, 
From  doubt  to  sight, 
The  soul,  God's  breath, 
Is  led  by  death. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXIII.       3trfitnafton0  of  Jmntorfctfifg, 


And  it  shall  be  when  Thou  art  come  hither  to  the 
city  that  thou  shalt  meet  a  company  of  prophets  com- 
ing down  from  the  high  place  with  a  psaltery  and  a 
tabret,  and  a  pipe  and  a  harp  before  them,  and  they 
shall  prophesy.  And  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  come 
upon  thee  and  thou  shalt  prophesy  with  them  and 
shalt  be  turned  into  another  man. — /.  Samuel  x.  .  6. 


that  what  Samuel  announced  to  Saul  was  not 
a  miraculous  occurrence  which  happened  to  him 
only  because  he  was  chosen  to  become  a  prince  and 
ruler  of  his  people.  Everyone  who  met  a  prophet  and 
heard  him  prophesy,  experienced  an  inward  change  so 
deep  that  he  appeared  like  another  man ;  a  new  spirit 
was  awakened  in  him ;  he  felt  himself  raised  beyond  his 
ordinary  condition  by  the  clearness  of  his  thoughts,  by 
his  yearning  after  still  greater  insight,  whilst  his  human- 
ity and  strength  of  self-renunciation  were  increased. 
In  this  ecstatic  state  he  saw  the  light  and  felt  the  exal- 
tation of  the  more  perfect  life  to  come;  for  what  else 
can  we  expect  of  such  a  life  but  that  the  soul,  freed 
from  the  body  and  its  senses,  glories  in  its  Divine  origin, 
and  rejoices  in  the  perception  of  the  world  of  spirits 
and  the  communion  with  the  Eternal  One.  The  proph- 
ets were  to  our  forefathers  the  living  witnesses,  the  ac- 
tual proofs,  of  the  independence  of  the  soul  from  the  des- 
tiny of  the  body.  They  had  direct  experience  of  that 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

which  we  seek  to  reach  by  philosophical  reasoning  and 

logical  conclusions. 

JEHUDAH  HALEVI. 

Question  :  Although  the  prophets  are  no  more,  is  the 
experience  of  which  the  poet-philosopher  speaks  quite 
unknown  to  us,  altogether  unattainable  to  us?  Have  we 
not  lived  through  hours  in  which  our  souls  seemed  lifted 
into  a  higher  sphere  of  thought  and  feeling?  Why  do 
we  not  treasure  up  these  intimations  for  the  strengthen- 
ing of  our  faith  and  the  deepening  of  our  hope  ? 


XXIV. 


Woe  unto  him  that  striveth  with  his  Maker  !  Let 
the  potsherds  strive  with  the  potsherds  of  the  earth. 
But  shall  the  clay  say  to  him  that  fashioneth  it,  What 
makest  Thou  ?  Or  the  work  (to  the  workman),  His 
hands  (have  no  cunning).  —  Isaiah  xlv.  9. 


scaffolding  is  kept  around  men  long  after  the 
fresco  is  commenced  to  be  painted;  and  wondrous 
disclosures  will  be  made  when  God  shall  take  down  this 
scaffolding  body,  and  reveal  what  you  have  been  doing. 
By  sorrow  and  by  joy ;  by  prayer,  by  the  influences  of 
the  sanctuary ;  by  your  pleasures,  by  your  business,  by 
reverses,  by  success  and  by  failures,  by  what  strength- 
ened your  confidence,  and  by  what  broke  it  down ;  by 
the  things  you  rejoiced  in  and  by  the  things  you 

63 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

mourned  over;  by  all  that  God  is  working-  in  you. 
And  you  are  to  be  perfected,  not  according  to  the 
things  that  you  plan,  but  according  to  the  divine 
pattern. 

H.  W.  BEECHER. 


,  turn,  my  wheel,  all  things  must  change 
To  something  new,  to  something  strange  ; 
Nothing  that  is  can  pause  or  stay  ; 

This  earthen  jar 

A  touch  can  make,  a  touch  can  mar  ; 
And  shall  it  to  the  potter  say  : 
What  makest  thou  ?  Thou  hast  no  hand  ? 
As  men  who  think  to  understand 
A  world  by  their  Creator  planned, 

Who  wiser  is  as  they. 

—  From  The  Potter's  Wheel,  by  Longfellow. 


XXV. 


My  tears  have  been  my  meat  day  and  night.  — 
Psalm  xlii.  j. 

They  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy.  —  Psalm 
cxxvi.  5. 

And  the  Lord  God  will  wipe  away  the  tears  from 
all  faces.  —  Isaiah  xxv.  8. 


-Tf-'HANK  God,  bless  God  all  ye  who  suffer  not 

More  grief  than  ye  can  weep  for.     That  is  well — 
That  is  light  grieving !  lighter  none  befell, 

64 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Since  Adam  forfeited  the  primal  lot. 

Tears!     What  are  tears?     The  babe  weeps  in  its  cot, 

The  mother  singing  ;  at  her  marriage-bell 

The  bride  weeps,  and  before  the  oracle 

Of  high-faned  hills  the  poet  has  forgot 

Such  moisture  on  his  cheeks.     Thank  God  for  grace, 

Ye  who  weep  only !     If,  as  some  have  done 

Ye  grope  tear-blinded  in  a  desert  place 

And  touch  but  tombs — look  up !  those  tears  will  run 

Soon  in  long  rivers  down  the  lifted  face, 

And  leave  the  vision  clear  for  stars  and  sun. 

ELIZABETH  BARRETT  BROWNING. 


The   heavenly   gates   which    prayer   and   fasting 
cannot  open,  tears  will  unlock. — Rabbinical. 
Shakespeare  calls  tears :  heaven-moving  pearls. 


XXVI. 


Goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the  days 
of  my  life  and  I  shall  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord 
forever. — Psalms  xxiii.  6. 


one  may  say:     Thou  hast  shown  us  what  we 
of  a  future  life  is  reasonable;  now  tell  us  also 
whither  the  departed  souls  go,  where  is  their  dwelling- 

65 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

place,  what  is  their  occupation,  how  are  the  good  re- 
warded and  the  bad  cleansed  from  the  stains  of  their 
sins?  I  would  answer:  Friend,  thou  dost  ask  more  than 
I  ever  promised  to  do.  For  my  part,  I  content  myself 
with  the  conviction  that  I  shall  always  remain  under 
Divine  protection;  that  a  holy  and  just  Providence 
rules  in  the  future  world  as  it  does  in  this,  and  that  my 
true  happiness  consists  in  the  beauty  and  perfection 
of  my  soul.  These  are:  temperance,  justice,  freedom, 
love,  benevolence,  knowledge  of  God,  laboring  in  the 
service  of  His  purpose  and  an  entire  surrender  to  His 
will.  These  are  the  beatitudes  which  I  expect  to  find 
in  the  future  life,  and  more  I  need  not  to  know  in 
order  to  go  cheerfully  on  the  way  that  leads  to  it; 
thither  you  will  all  follow  me  when  your  hour  shall 
come. 

MOSES  MENDELSSOHN. 

HEY  throng  the  silence  of  the  breast, 

We  see  them  as  of  yore, — 
The  kind,  the  brave,  the  true,  the  sweet, 
Though  they  are  here  no  more. 

More  homelike  seems  the  vast  unknown, 

Since  they  have  entered  there  ; 

To  follow  them  were  not  so  hard, 

Wherever  they  may  fare. 

They  cannot  be  where  God  is  not, 

On  any  sea  or  shore  : 

Whate'er  betides,  Thy  love  abides, 

Our  God  for  evermore. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXVII.       £0e  %  ope  of  £aft*fion. 

Harken  unto  me,  ye  that  know  righteousness, 
saith  the  Lord  ;  ye  people  in  whose  heart  is  my  law  : 
fear  ye  not  the  reproach  of  men,  neither  be  ye  afraid 
of  their  revilings. — Isaiah  /£  7. 

question,  why  I  do  not  try  to  make  converts, 
has,  I  must  say,  somewhat  surprised  me.  The 
duty  to  proselytize  springs  clearly  from  the  idea  that 
outside  a  certain  belief,  there  is  no  salvation.  I,  as  a 
Jew,  am  not  bound  to  accept  that  dogma,  because  ac- 
cording to  the  teachings  of  the  Rabbis,  the  righteous 
of  all  nations  shall  have  part  in  the  rewards  of  the 
future  world ;  your  motive,  therefore,  is  foreign  to  me; 
nay,  as  a  Jew,  I  am  not  allowed  publicly  to  attack  any 
religion  which  is  sound  in  its  moral  teachings. 

The  practice  of  these  teachings  I  call  Internal  Service 
of  God;  and  not  to  assist  in  the  dissemination  of  them 
would  show  an  extreme  want  of  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  my  fellowmen:  but  as  to  dogmas  and  ceremonies 
(the  External  Service  of  God),  how  can  I  know  which  are 
the  best  for  others?  All  I  am  convinced  of  is:  that 
those  I  profess  and  practice  are  the  best  for  me,  and  the 
fact  that  I  believe  these  ordinances  to  have  been  com- 
manded by  God  does  not  oblige  me  to  assume  that  they 
needs  must  be  the  best  for  all  the  rest  of  the  world. 
This  also  I  do  know :  that  I  love  all  friends  of  virtue 
and  of  wisdom  heartily,  no  matter  what  their  External 
Service,  and  if  you  are  in  reality  as  good  as  you  appear 
in  your  letter,  I  esteem  you  most  sincerely. — From  a 
letter  of  Moses  Mendelssohn  to  a  non-Jewish  correspondent. 

67 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXVIII.       £0e  ©erfing  of  (tttan. 


Let  the  counsel  of  thine  own  heart  stand;  for 
there  is  no  man  more  faithful  unto  thee  than  it.  A 
man's  mind  is  sometimes  wont  to  tell  him  more  than 
seven  watchmen  that  sit  above  in  a  high  tower.  — 
Sirach. 

future  destination  is  a  new  link  in  the  chain  of 
our  being,  which  connects  itself  with  the  present 
link  most  intimately,  and  by  the  most  subtle  progression  ; 
as  our  earth  is  connected  with  the  sun,  and  as  the  moon 
with  our  earth.  When  death  bursts  the  bonds  of  our 
present  limitation,  God  will  transplant  us,  like  flowers, 
into  quite  other  fields,  and  surround  us  with  entirely 
different  circumstances.  '  Who  has  not  experienced 
what  new  faculties  are  given  to  the  soul  by  a  new  situ- 
ation? Faculties  which,  in  our  old  corner,  in  the  stifling 
atmosphere  of  old  circumstances  and  occupations,  we 
had  never  imagined  ourselves  capable  of  ? 
Wherever  I  may  be,  through  whatever  worlds  I  may 
be  led,  I  know  that  I  shall  forever  remain  in  the  hands 
of  the  Father,  who  brought  me  hither,  and  who  calls 
me  further  on. 

HERDER. 

/BATHER  and  Helper!  plant  within  each  bosom 
Ay     The  seeds  of  holiness,  and  bid  them  blossom 
In  fragrance,  and  in  beauty  bright  and  vernal, 

And  spring  eternal. 

Then  place  them  in  thine  everlasting  gardens 
Where  angels  walk,  and  seraphs  are  the  wardens  ; 
Where  every  flower,  escaped  through  death's  dark  portal, 

Becomes  immortal. 

68 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXIX.  <S)ufp  ©itnne. 


And  in  every  work  that  he  began  in  the  service  of 
the  house  of  God,  and  in  the  Law,  and  in  the  Com- 
mandments, to  seek  his  God,  he  did  it  with  all  his 
heart,  and  prospered. — //.  Chron.  xxxi.  21. 


is  nothing  like  the  first  glance  we  get  at 
duty,  before  there  has  been  any  special  pleading  of 
our  affections  or  inclinations.  Duty  is  never  uncertain 
at  first.  It  is  only  after  we  have  got  involved  in  the 
mazes  and  sophistries  of  wishing  that  things  were  other- 
wise than  they  are,  that  it  seems  indistinct.  Consider- 
ing a  duty  is  often  only  explaining  it  away.  Deliber- 
ation is  often  dishonesty.  God's  guidance  is  plain, 
when  we  are  true. 

F.  W.  ROBERTSON. 

Try  to  do  thy  duty — and  thou  shalt  at  once  know 
thine  own  worth. 

GOETHE. 

Duty  is  the  great  witness  of  our  personality. 

JOHN  STERLING. 

CLTERN  Daughter  of  the  Voice  of  God ! 

£^     O  Duty !  if  that  name  thou  love 

Who  art  a  light  to  guide,  a  rod 

To  check  the  erring,  and  reprove ; 

Thou,  who  art  victory  and  law 

When  empty  terrors  overawe ; 

From  vain  temptations  dost  set  free, 

And  calm'st  the  weary  strife  of  frail  humanity ! 

69 


SUN  AND  SHIELD 

To  humbler  functions,  awful  power! 

I  call  thee  :  I  myself  commend 

Unto  thy  guidance  from  this  hour ; 

Oh !  let  my  weakness  have  an  end  ! 

Give  unto  me,  made  lowly  wise, 

The  spirit  of  self-sacrifice ; 

The  confidence  of  reason  give ; 

And  in  the  light  of  truth  thy  bondman  let  me  live. 

WILLIAM  WORDSWORTH. 


XXX.  true  dgrccffencg. 


Let  not  mercy  and  truth  forsake  thee  ;  bind  them 
about  thy  neck;  write  them  on  the  tables  of  thy 
heart  ;  so  shalt  thou  find  favor  with  God  and  men. 
—  Proverbs  Hi.  j,  4. 


(Yt  O  crown  carries  such  royalty  with  it  as  doth  hu- 
^  mility ;  no  monument  gives  such  glory  as  an  un- 
sullied name;  no  worldly  gain  can  equal  that  which 
comes  from  observing  God's  laws.  The  highest  sacri- 
fice is  a  contrite  heart ;  the  most  beautiful  of  all  things 
man  can  do  is  to  forgive  wrong.  Cherish  a  good  heart 
when  thou  findest  it  in  any  one ;  hate,  for  thou  mayest 
hate  it,  the  haughtiness  of  the  overbearing  man,  and 
keep  the  boaster  at  a  distance.  There  is  no  skill  or 
cleverness  to  be  compared  to  that  which  avoids  temp- 
tation ;  there  is  no  strength  that  can  equal  piety.  All 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

honor  to  him  who  prays,  reads,  learns,  all  with  a  passion- 
ate yearning  for  his  Maker's  grace. 

ELEAZAR  BEN  YEHUDAH, 

(XIII.  Century). 


ft 


WOULD  that  I  might  be 

A  servant  unto  Thee, 
Thou  God  by  all  adored, 


Spirit  and  flesh  are  Thine, 

O  heavenly  shepherd  mine  ! 

My  hopes,  my  thoughts  my  fears,  Thou  seest  all. 

Thou  measurest  my  path,  my  steps  dost  know, 

When  Thou  upholdest,  who  can  make  me  fall, 

When  Thou  restrainest,  who  can  bid  me  go  ? 

JEIIUDAH  HALEVL 


Jewel* 


PART  FIRST. 


Ye  are  my  witnesses,  saith  the  Lord,  and  my  serv- 
ant whom  I  have  chosen.  .  .  .  — Isaiah  xliii.  10. 

Hearken  unto  me,  ye  that  know  righteousness,  the 
people  in  whose  heart  is  my  law ;  fear  ye  not  the 
reproach  of  man,  neither  be  ye  afraid  of  their  revil- 
ings. — Isaiah  li.  7. 


I.  £0e  Caff  of  3*tae£ 


If  ye  will  obey  my  voice  indeed  and  keep  my 
covenant,  then  ye  shall  be  a  chosen  people  unto  me 
out  of  all  nations,  for  all  the  earth  is  mine ;  ye  shall 
be  unto  me  a  priestly  people  and  a  holy  nation. — 
Exodus  xix.  5,  6. 


answer  made  to  this  call  by  the  people  was 
worthy  of  the  hour;  for,  as  with  one  voice,  they 
said :  * '  All  that  the  Lord  shall  say,  we  will  do  and 
hear."  The  ancient  masters  point  to  the  seeming  rash- 
ness of  the  reply  since  hearing  ought  to  precede  a  vow 
of  doing;  but  such,  they  explain,  is  always  the  effect  of 
true  inspiration.  The  self  is  lost  in  the  end  of  the 
inspiring  cause.  Only  under  the  sway  of  such  an  absorb- 
ing influence  are  great  resolutions  born.  What  generous 
soul  does  not  know  these  sacred  hours  ?  And,  although 
more  may  be  vowed,  to  ourselves  and  to  others,  than 
can  be  fulfilled,  yet  are  we,  as  it  were,  pushed  for- 
ward and  upward  by  these  rising  waves  of  spiritual 
life;  we  never  fall  back  altogether  to  the  level  from 
which  we  were  lifted.  Israel,  it  is  true,  did  relapse  into 
old  errors,  and  not  very  long  after;  he  has  often  been 
rebuked  for  his  backsliding;  but  what  are  these  lapses 
compared  with  his  unwavering  faithfulness  through 
thousands  of  years,  and  under  what  trials !  G.  G. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

GIVE  me  strength  to  hold  to  Thee  for  aye, 

To  let  me  touch  Thy  garment's  hem,  I  pray ; 
And  though  Thy  dreaded  judgments  may  draw  near, 
Submissive  to  Thy  will,  I  have  no  fear. 
I'll  keep  Thy  covenant  unbroken,  Lord, 
Most  dear  and  precious  is  to  me  Thy  Word. 


II.  tfy  (gerf 


For  this  is  not  a  vain  thing  for  you,  it  is  your  life, 
and  by  this  ye  shall  prolong  your  life  in  the  land 
whither  ye  go  over  Jordan  to  possess  it. 

Deut.  xxxii.  47. 

1  '  H  believe  in  God,  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of 
J  heaven  and  earth;"  "  The  Lord  our  God  is  One;" 
"  There  is  none  good  save  One,  that  is  God;  "  "  There 
is  One  God  and  Father  of  us  all,  who  is  above  all,  and 
through  all,  and  in  you  all;  "  "  One  God,  the  Father,  of 
whom  are  all  things,  and  we  in  Him;  "  "  For  in  Him  we 
live  and  move  and  have  our  being;  "  "  God  is  light,  and 
in  Him  is  no  darkness  at  all;"  and  "God  is  love." 
Here  is  your  true  creed  and  confession.  I  want  to  say, 
Get  these  mighty  and  masterful  sentences  by  heart,  and 
teach  them  to  your  children,  that  they  may  take  them 
out  into  thejworld  for  their  staff  and  stay,  when  they 
leave  the  old  roof-tree.  We  may  believe  many  a  radi- 
ant truth  besides;  but  these,  to  begin  with,  are  the  best 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

I  ever  found.  "Tell  me  the  whole  Law  while  I  stand 
on  one  foot,"  the  young  heathen  wit  said  to  the  old 
master  of  the  Law  in  Jewry,  just  before  our  Christian 
era,  and  he  thought  he  had  the  old  scholar  on  the  hip. 
But  he  had  reckoned  without  his  host.  "  Lift  up  your 
foot,"  the  old  man  said  promptly;  and,  with  a  smile, 
"Are  you  ready?"  "Yes,  master,  ready."  "Well, 
now,  listen.  '  Do  not  unto  another  what  thou  wouldest 
not  have  another  do  unto  thee  '  —  that  is  the  whole  Law: 
the  rest  is  only  commentary  and  exposition."  So  I 
want  to  say  to  myself  and  to  you  :  Here  is  the  essence 
of  all  faith  ;  and  we  can  hear  it,  as  we  can  hear  the  whole 
Law  touching  the  conduct  of  our  life  while  we  stand  on 
one  foot.  ROBERT  COLLYER. 


within  our  heart  of  hearts 
Love  undying  for  Thy  name  ; 
Bid  us,  ere  the  day  departs, 
Spread  afar  our  Maker's  fame  ; 
Young  and  old  together  bless, 
Clothe  our  souls  with  righteousness. 


HI.  3*raef 


I,  the  Lord,  change  not  ;  and  ye,  house  of  Israel, 
are  not  consumed.  —  Malachi  Hi.  6. 


-(^ORMERLY  I  felt  little  affection  for  Moses,  prob- 
ably  because   the    Hellenic   spirit  was   dominant 


77 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

within  me,  and  I  could  not  pardon  the  Jewish  lawgiver 
for  his  intolerance  of  images  and  every  sort  of  plastic 
representation.  I  failed  to  see  that  despite  his  hostile 
attitude  to  art,  Moses  was  himself  a  great  artist,  gifted 
with  the  artist's  spirit.  Only  in  him,  as  in  his  Egyptian 
neighbors,  the  artistic  instinct  was  exercised  solely 
upon  the  colossal  and  the  indestructible.  But,  unlike 
the  Egyptians,  he  did  not  shape  his  works  of  art  out  of 
brick  and  granite.  His  pyramids  were  built  of  men, 
his  obelisks  hewn  out  of  human  material.  A  feeble 
race  of  shepherds  he  transformed  into  a  people  bidding 
defiance  to  the  centuries,  a  great,  eternal,  holy  people, 
God's  people  he  intended  to  build,  an  exemplar  to  all 
other  peoples,  the  prototype  of  mankind:  he  created 
Israel;  with  greater  justice  than  the  Roman  poet  could 
this  artist  boast  of  having  erected  a  monument  more 
enduring  than  brass.  .  .  .  Now  I  understand  that  the 
Greeks  were  only  beautiful  youths,  while  the  Jews  have 
always  been  men,  powerful,  ^inflexible  men;  not  only  in 
early  times,  to-day,  too,  in  spite  of  eighteen  hundred 
years  of  persecution  and  misery. 

HEINRICH  HEINE. 


who  so  high  hast  raised  me  by  Thy  love, 
My  eyes  look  upward  to  Thy  realms  above. 
Thou  art  my  strength,  on  Thee  will  I  rely, 
And  serve  Thee  till  the  moment  that  I  die  ; 
Thy  service  I  have  made  my  chosen  part, 
O  God,  instil  Thy  grace  into  my  heart. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

iv.  ®n  3beaf  of 


Ye  shall  be  perfect  with  the  Lord,  your  God. 

— Deut.  xviii.  13. 


pious  Jew  bears  about  with  him  unrepiningly 
the  burden  of  his  people's  faith,  holds  worldly 
delights  in  contempt,  is  moderate  in  all  the  workings  of 
his  mind,  is  master  of  his  passions,  and,  in  sooth,  has 
God  continually  before  his  eyes.  The  path  which,  his 
feet  tread  is  straightforward,  and  the  words  he  utters  to 
others  are  soft  and  sweet;  he  educates  his  children  to  a 
worthy  life,  infuses  love  and  righteousness  into  all  his 
works,  and  seeks  to  lead  others  in  the  right  way  ;  he  is 
of  a  contented  mind,  and  rejoices  when  the  world  goes 
well  with  others.  He  loves  his  neighbors  and  friends, 
lends  to  the  needy,  gives  alms  secretly  and  does  good 
purely  for  God's  sake.  Such  a  one  you  will  find  early 
and  find  late  in  the  house  of  religious  study  and  prayer, 
where  he  may  add  to  the  store  of  his  knowledge  and 
pray  from  the  depths  of  his  reverent  heart. 

ELEAZAR  BEN  YEHUDAH 
(XIII.  Century). 

f^ET  Israel  strive  for  truth  alone, 
^f     In  love  to  bless  mankind  ; 
And  in  the  bond  of  brotherhood 
All  nations  soon  to  bind, 

So  that  they  all  with  one  accord 

Acknowledge  and  obey  the  Lord. 


79 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

(purpose  of  i 0e  Commanbtnenf  0. 

Blessed  are  the  undefiled  in  the  way,  who  walk  in 
the  path  "of  the  Lord.  Blessed  are  they  that  keep  His 
testimonies  and  seek  Him  with  their  whole  heart. — 
Psalm  cxix.  i,  2. 


are  the  things  that  we  Jews  are  commanded 
or  forbidden  ?  They  are  simple  and  well  known. 
The  first  command  is  concerning  God,  and  affirms  that 
God  is  almighty  and  perfect,  self-sufficient  and  sufficient 
for  all  other  things ;  indeed,  the  beginning,  the  middle 
and  the  end  of  all  things.  He  is  manifest  in  His  works 
and  benefits,  and  more  conspicuous  than  any  other 
being  whatever;  but  as  to  His  essential  nature,  most 
obscure.  All  materials,  let  them  be  ever  so  costly,  are 
unworthy  to  compose  an  image  of  Him,  and  all  arts  are 
inartistic  to  express  the  idea  of  Him.  .  .  .  All  men 
ought  to  follow  and  worship  Him  in  the  exercise  of  vir- 
tue ;  for  this  way  of  worship  is  the  most  holy.  And  we 
ought  first  to  pray  for  the  common  welfare  of  all,  and 
after  that  for  our  own,  since  we  are  made  for  fellowship 
with  one  another,  and  he  who  prefers  the  common  good 
to  his  own  private  good  is  especially  acceptable  to  God. 
And  let  our  prayers  and  supplications  be  made  to  God, 
not  so  much  that  He  would  give  us  what  is  good  as  that 
we  may  only  receive  and  use  it  as  good. 

FLAVIUS  JOSEPHUS. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Y  word  a  wondrous  guiding  star 
On  pilgrim  hearts  doth  rise  ; 
Leads  to  their  Lord  who  dwells  afar 
And  makes  the  simple  wise. 
Let  not  its  light 
E'er  sink  in  night, 
But  still  in  every  spirit  shine, 
That  none  may  miss  Thy  light  divine. 


VI. 


Remember  the  days  of  old,  consider  the  years  of 
many  generations  :  ask  thy  father,  and  he  will  show 
thee;  thy  elders,  and  they  will  tell  thee. — Deut 
xxxii.  7. 


angels  guide 

The  paths  of  man,  both  aged  and  yet  young 
As  angels  are,  ripening  through  endless  years. 
On  one  he  leans :  some  call  her  Memory, 
Some  Tradition ;  and  her  voice  is  sweet 
With  deep  mysterious  accords. 
The  other    floating  above,   holds  down  a  lamp  which 

streams 

A  light  divine  and  searching  on  the  earth, 
Compelling  eyes  and  footsteps :     Memory  yields, 
Yet  clings  with  loving  cheek  and  shines  anew; 
Reflecting  all  the  rays  of  that  bright  lamp 
Our  angel  Reason  holds.    We  had  not  walked 

8x 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

But  for  Tradition  :  we  walk  evermore 

To  higher  paths  by  brightening  Reason's  lamp. 

GEORGE  ELIOT. 

A  man  is  born  by  the  side  of  his  father  and  there  he 
remains.  QUOTED  BY  EMERSON. 

A  nation  lives  by  its  traditions,  and  the  deeper  the 
love  that  binds  the  members  of  a  family  together  the 
richer  the  store  of  its  reminiscences  and  the  more 
numerous  its  memorial  days.  Q.  Q 

¥ 

VII. 


When  wisdom  entereth  into  thine  heart  and  knowl- 
edge is  pleasant  unto  thy  soul,  discretion  shall  pre- 
serve thee,  understanding  shall  keep  thee  :  To  deliver 
thee  from  the  way  of  the  evil  man,  from  the  man  that 
speaketh  froward  things.  —  Proverbs  «,  10.  12. 
THE  soul  can  shed  a  glory 

On  every  work  well  done, 
As  even  things  most  lowly 
Are  radiant  in  the  sun. 


CO  ELIGION,  they  say,  is  only  custom.  I  might  agree 
**  to  this  if  the  "  only"  were  left  out.  Customs  are 
the  flowers  of  civilization.  You  can  tell  a  man's  training, 
yea,  even  much  of  his  character,  by  his  habits.  Moral- 
ity, Ethics,  "  Sittlichkeit,"  are  words  derived  from  roots 
denoting  manner  of  living — that  which  is  acknowledged 
and  adopted  by  the  people  as  right  and  seemly.  There 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

are  foolish  customs,  of  course,  but  these  apart,  man- 
ners and  usages  are  the  silent  compact,  the  unwritten 
law  which  preserve  the  proprieties  of  civilized  life,  and 
piety  is  thus  the  fruit  of  religious  customs. 

G.  G. 

The  very  sooth  of  it  is  that  an  ill  habit  is  an  ill  fate. 

L'ESTRANGE. 

¥ 


VIII.  £0e  ^mtudf  fcife. 


This  is  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  Zerubbabel  :   not 
by  hosts,  not  by  power,  but  by  My  spirit. 

—  Zechariah  iv.  6. 


are  the  great  men  and  what  are  the  great  na- 
tions of  the  world?  What  is  left  of  all  human 
history?  The  only  things  that  are  alive  to-day  of 
all  the  product  of  the  world  of  the  past  are  the  spiritual 
things.  Did  not  Paul  speak  the  truth  when  he  said : 
"  The  mind  of  the  spirit  is  life  ?  "  Where  is  Phoenicia, 
Babylon,  Egypt?  All  that  is  left  of  Egypt  are  a  few 
pyramids  and  the  sphinx,  which  testify  to  an  intolerable 
tyranny  over  millions  of  slaves.  What  is  left  of  Tam- 
erlan,  of  Xerxes,  the  great  oriental  conquerors?  Noth- 
ing. What  is  left  of  little  tiny  Palestine? — Imperish- 
able treasures  that  the  world  would  not  part  with  for 
all  the  material  fruits  of  civilization  together.  What  is 
left  of  Greece?  The  literature,  the  art,  the  truth,  the 
beauty.  What  is  left  of  Rome?  Her  magnificent 

83 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

thoughts  embodied  in  law,  her  arts.     It  is  the  spiritual 
things  that  live  and  wherein  resides  all  human  great- 

neSS  MINOT  J.  SAVAGE. 

E  heights  by  great  men  reached  and  kept, 
Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight, 
But  they,  while  their  companions  slept, 
Were  toiling  upward  in  the  night. 


IX.  (Ancient  (praget0. 

At  the  close  of  the  service  of  the  great  Day  of 
atonement  the  High-priest  offered  this  prayer  : 

May  it  please  Thee,  O  God,  God  of  our  fathers,  that 
we  may  not  be]  forced  to  emigrate ;  but  if  it  be  so 
decreed  by  Thee,  may  it  not  be  to  a  place  where  the 
knowledge  of  Thy  Law  is  not  found;  and  may  we 
suffer  no  want ;  but  if  it  be  so  decreed  by  Thee,  may  it 
not  be  a  want  of  means  to  do  good  works ;  and  may 
it  please  Thee  to  let  this  year  be  one  in  which  right- 
eousness prevails ;  also  a  year  of  plenty ;  of  trading,  of 
rain,  warmth  and  shade  in  due  proportions,  so  that  no 
one  may  need  the  help  of  his  fellow-man,  and  no  one 
be  tempted  to  lord  it  over  his  neighbor. 

TALMUD. 


Rabbi  Eleazar  had  finished  his  devotions,  he 
added  this  petition:  May  it  please  Thee  to  let 
dwell  within  our  borders  Love,  Brotherliness,  Peace  and 
Amity;  grant  that  the  disciples  may  increase,  our  work 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

for  all  lawful  ends  be  blessed  with  happy  issues,  and 
that  we  finally  obtain  our  portion  in  Paradise  ;  that  we 
may  be  armed  for  the  good  fight  by  the  fellowship  of 
the  wise,  and  the  prevailing  of  the  good  spirit  within  us; 
that  every  morning  may  find  us  cheered  by  hope,  and 
governed  by  the  fear  of  Thy  name  ;  and  mayest  Thou 
fulfill  our  wishes  for  the  abiding  good  of  our  souls. 

TALMUD. 


X.  £0e  (Brace  of  QRepcnfance. 


Who  can  say  :  I  have  made  my  heart  clean,  I  am 
pure  from  sin  ?  —  Prov.  xx.  q. 

He  that  covereth  up  his  sins  (  to  hide  them  from 
himself  )  shall  not  prosper  ;  but  he  that  confesses  and 
forsakes  them  shall  find  mercy.  —  Prov.  xxviii.  /j». 


QfjEPENTANCE  is  likewise  an  indispensable  ele. 
V*  ment  in  the  belief  of  the  followers  of  Israel's  Law. 
For  it  is  impossible  for  man  to  be  entirely  free  from 
error  and  sin ;  he  either  does  not  sufficiently  understand 
the  opinion  which  he  chooses,  or  he  adopts  one,  not  for 
its  own  merits,  but  in  order  to  gratify  his  desire  or  his 
passion.  If  we  were  convinced  that  we  could-  never 
make  our  crooked  ways  straight,  we  should  forever  con- 
tinue in  our  errors  and,  perhaps,  add  other  sins  to  those 
we  have  committed,  because  we  do  not  see  that  there  is 
a  way  of  escape  left  to  us ;  whilst  the  belief  in  the  effi- 

85 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

cacy  of  repentance  causes  us  to  improve  ourselves,  to 
reach  out  for  the  best  of  ways,  and  to  become  better 
than  we  were  before  we  sinned. 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 

OJ7ND  day  by  day  I  think  I  read  more  plain 

V^y     This  crowning  truth,  that,  spite  of  sin  and  pain, 

No  life  that  God  has  given  is  lived  in  vain  ; 

But  each  poor,  weak,  and  sin-polluted  soul 

Shall  struggle  free  at  last,  and  reach  its  goal, 

A  perfect  part  of  God's  great  perfect  whole. 


XL 

"  O  ye,  that  love  the  Eternal,  see  that  ye  hate  the 
thing  that  is  evil ;  to  him  that  ordereth  his  conversa- 
tion right,  shall  be  shown  the  salvation  of  God." 

[As  QUOTED  BY  M.  A.] 

H ETHER  we  consider  this  revelation  in  respect  to 
human  affairs  at  large,  or  in  respect  to  individual 
happiness,  in  either  case  its  importance  is  so  immense, 
that  the  people  to  whom  it  was  given,  and  whose  record 
is  in  the  Bible,  deserve  fully  to  be  singled  out,  as  the 
Bible  singles  them :  ' '  Behold,  darkness  shall  cover  the 
earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  nations;  but  the  Eternal 
shall  rise  upon  thee,  and  His  glory  shall  be  seen  upon 
thee."  For,  while  other  nations  had  the  misleading 
idea  that  this  or  that,  other  than  righteousness,  is  sav- 
ing, and  it  is  not ;  that  this  or  that,  other  than  conduct, 
brings  happiness,  and  it  does  not;  Israel  had  the  true 

86 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

idea,  that  righteousness  is  saving  and  that  to  conduct 
belongs  happiness.  Nor  let  it  be  said  that  other  nations, 
too,  had  at  least  something  of  this  idea.  They  had,  but 
they  were  not  possessed  with  it  ;  and  to  feel  it  enough 
to  make  the  world  feel  it,  it  was  necessary  to  be  pos- 
sessed with  it.  Israel  and  the  Bible  are  filled  with  re- 
ligious joys:  "Eternal,  what  love  have  I  unto  Thy 
Law  ?  All  the  day  long  is  my  study  in  it."  This  is  why 
the  testimonies  of  righteousness  are  Israel's  heritage 
forever,  because  they  were  the  very  joy  of  his  heart. 

MATTHEW  ARNOLD. 

T  know  the  Lord  hath  chose, 
Chose  to  himself  apart, 
The  good  and  meek  of  heart. 

Into  my  heart  more  joy 

And  gladness  Thou  hast  put, 

Than  when  a  year  of  glut 
Their  stores  doth  over-cloy. 


xii.     T£0af  <T»a0  (gewofeb  to 


If  there  be  a  prophet  among  you,  I  will  make 
Myself  known  to  him  in  a  vision,  and  will  speak  unto 
him  in  a  dream.  My  servant  Moses  who  is  faithful  in 
all  my  house,  with  him  will  I  speak  mouth  to  mouth 
.  .  .  and  the  similitude  of  the  Lord  shall  he  behold.  — 
Numbers  xii.  6,  7. 


/T1  NTO  Moses  the  veil  of  the  senses,  of  appearances, 
^      was  lifted:  he,  too,  looked  through  the  show  of 

87 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

things,  and  saw  that  behind  the  outward,  which  makes 
the  outward  what  it  is.  To  his  earnest  and  manly  soul 
was  revealed  the  truth  that  man  is  not  free,  but  bound; 
that  he  cannot  do  as  he  would,  but  as  he  must  ;  that  he 
is  not  free  to  do  wrong,  but  bound  to  right  by  a  double 
chain  of  pain  and  fear:  he  saw  and  felt  the  presence  of 
penalty:  that  God  had  attached  pain  to  certain  courses 
of  action,  and  pleasure  to  other  and  quite  opposite 
courses;  and  that  this  was  law,  from  which  man  could 
not  get  away;  that  fire  would  burn  and  water  drown, 
that  sin  would  bring  evil  and  remorse,  and,  let  a  man 
try  as  hard  as  he  might,  he  could  not  make  it  so  that 
fire  would  not  burn,  nor  water  drown,  nor  intemper- 
ance of  the  body  destroy  the  soul  :  he  stood  awed  before 
the  majesty  of  law.  And  how  great  was  that  reve- 
lation ! 

ELIZA  T.  CLAPP. 

OJ7ND  fierce  though  the  fiends  may  fight, 
V^.7  And  long  though  the  angels  hide  — 
I  know  that  truth  and  right 

Have  the  universe  on  their  side. 


xiii.  t    <Bfc  to 


Ye  shall  not  add  unto  the  word  which  I  command 
you,  neither  shall  ye  diminish  aught  from  it.  —  Dent. 
iv.  2. 

He  that  adds  to  the  Divine  ordinance  transgresses 
as  much  as  he  that  diminishes.  —  Talmud. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

divine  religion  does  not  urge  us  to  lead  an 
ascetic  life,  but  guides  us  in  the  middle  path, 
equidistant  from  the  extremes  of  too  much  and  too 
little ;  it  allows  free  play  to  every  Godgiven  faculty  of 
both  body  and  soul,  within  the  limits  drawn  by  the 
Divine  Hand  itself.  For  certain  it  is  that  what  we  de- 
vote to  one  faculty  in  excessive  measure  we  withdraw 
from  another  faculty,  and  thus  lose  the  harmony  which 
should  pervade  our  whole  life.  ...  In  general,  let  me 
impress  this  principle  on  thy  mind :  The  essence  of  our 
whole  Law  is  contained  in  these  three  things : 

REVERENCE,   LOVE,   JOY. 

They  are  the  way  to  bring  us  near  to  God.  Thy 
contrition  on  the  day  of  fasting  is  in  no  wise  more 
pleasing  to  Him  than  thy  joy  on  the  Sabbath  or  the 
Festival,  if  so  be  that  thy  delight  come  from  a  devout 
and  full  heart.  Just  as  prayer  requires  reflection  and 
devotion,  so  does  joy  in  God's  commandments  and  the 
study  of  His  revelation.  Thou  must  rejoice  in  the  love 
of  Him  who  gave  the  Law,  being  persuaded  that  the 
giving  thereof  was  an  act  of  His  love  towards  thee. 

JEHUDAH   HALEVI. 

yJVOD  doth  suffice !     O  thou,  the  patient  one, 
^*-^     Who  putteth  faith  in  Him  and  none  beside, 
Bear  yet  thy  load ;  under  the  setting  sun 
The  glad  tints  gleam  ;  thou  wilt  be  satisfied. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XIV.  £$e  (Unifying  (potper  of  QRcficjion. 

Instead  of  brass,  I  will  bring  gold,  and  instead  of 
iron  I  will  bring  silver.  ...  I  will  also  make  thine 
officers  peace,  and  thine  exactors  righteousness. — 
Isaiah  Ix.  if. 

ELIGION  is  the  most  potent  factor  of  association, 
because  it  binds  men  together  by  Ideas.  True,  it 
also  divides,  and  sharply  enough  at  that.  But  this  is 
inevitable.  All  closer  unions  create  rigid  separations. 
Every  home  has  an  inner  court  from  which  all  strangers 
are  strenuously  banished.  The  marital  bond  derives 
its  sanctity  from  its  restriction  to  two  beings.  The 
least  infringement  desecrates  it.  ...  The  triumph  of 
true  religion  lies  in  this:  that  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  men  become  helpful  to  each  other  despite  their  dif- 
ferences of  views  and  beliefs,  and  work  together  for 
purposes  that  benefit  the  whole  of  society.  The  linking 
of  hands  under  the  influence  of  Ideas  cannot  fail  to 
draw  the  hearts  also  closer  to  each  other.  Let  the 
spirit  of  humanity,  let  mutual  respect  be  cultivated  in 
the  various  churches  and  synagogues,  and  wrangling 
about  creeds  and  dogmas  and  forms  will  cease  as  natur- 
ally as  rude  speech  and  offensive  manners  vanish  from 
the  intercourse  of  gentle  folk  and  cultured  society. 

G.  G. 

^y^HAT  might  be  done  if  men  were  wise — 
*+J     What  glorious  deeds,  my  suffering  brother, 

Would  they  unite 

In  Love  and  Right, 
And  cease  their  scorn  of  one  another  ? 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XV. 


Ye  stand  this  day,  all  of  you,  before  the  Lord, 
your  God ;  your  captains,  your  elders,  your  officers, 
with  all  the  men  of  Israel,  your  little  ones  and  your 
wives,  and  thy  stranger  that  is  in  thy  camp,  from  the 
hewer  of  thy  wood,  to  the  drawer  of  thy  water :  that 
thou  should'st  enter  into  covenant  with  the  Lord,  thy 
God,  and  His  oath  which  He  maketh  with  thee. — 
Deuteronomy  xxix.  10,  12. 


'\YjHENEVER  the  Jew  is  permitted  to  enter  the  life 
around  him,  on  terms  of  freedom  and  equality,  he  will 
be  mastered  by  it  and  lay  aside  his  peculiarities.  The 
old  fable  of  the  wind  and  the  sun  contending  with  one 
another  as  to  who  will  succeed  in  making  the  wayfarer 
take  off  his  cloak,  is  true  for  all  conditions  of  men. 
Liberty  always  works  equality;  right  always  conquers 
wrong;  if  not  in  external  things,  yet  in  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  men.  Love  unfailingly  casts  out  hatred,  and 
proofs  of  brotherly  feeling  always  make  people  ashamed 
of  their  pride  and  their  selfishness.  The  powers  of 
darkness  love  darkness,  but  they  fly  before  the  rays  of 
the  morning  sun. 

The  Jews,  no  more  than  any  other  class  of  men,  relish 
social  seclusion.  They  have,  on  the  contrary,  shown  a 
wonderful  adaptation  to  new  conditions.  Coercion  they 
will  resist:  despotism,  even  if  benevolent,  they  will 
oppose:  and  will  do  so  by  shutting  themselves  up  in 
their  own  peculiar  life.  But  no  class  responds  more 

91 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

readily  to  the  allurements  of  right  and  humanity  than 
they. 

G.  G. 

/JTNPPRESSION'S  heart  might  be  imbued 
^•^     With  kindling  drops  of  loving  kindness, 

And  knowledge  pour, 

From  shore  to  shore, 
Light  on  the  eyes  of  mental  blindness. 

All  Slavery,  Warfare,  Lies,  and  Wrongs, 
All  Vice  and  Crime,  might  die  together  ; 

And  wine  and  corn, 

To  each  man  born, 
Be  free  as  warmth  in  summer  weather. 


XVI. 


I  will  pour  water  upon  that  which  is  thirsty,  and 
floods  upon  dry  ground:  I  will  pour  my  spirit  upon 
thy  children,  and  my  blessing  upon  thy  offspring.  One 
shall  say,  I  am  the  Lord's  ;  another  shall  call  himself 
by  the  name  of  Jacob  ;  another  shall  subscribe  with 
his  hand  unto  the  Lord;  another  adorn  himself  by 
the  name  of  Israel.  —  From  Isaiah  xliv. 


HE  promised  revival  will  not  present  that  outward 
uniformity  which  men  were  then,  as  they  are  now, 
wont  to  expect  from  such  an  awakening  of  the  heart. 
The  heavenly  gift  will  be  one,  but  it's  workings  mani- 
fold. It  is  likened  to  an  overflowing  river,  seeking 
many  outlets.  The  ardor  of  the  young  soul  will  be 
such  as  not  to  permit  it  to  rest  until  it  has  found  its  bed. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

"  I  am  the  Lord's  "  will  be  the  watchword  of  those  who 
are  fired  by  the  idea,  "All  for  God,  all  with  God." 
Others  will  place  the  name  of  "  Jacob"  in  the  fore- 
ground, because  they  are  inspired  mostly  by  the  nation's 
history  ;  others,  again,  will,  as  if  by  their  sign  man- 
ual, pledge  their  lives  to  the  public  service  of  God; 
whilst  yet  others  will  write  on  their  banners,  "Israel, 
Wrestler  in  the  midnight  darkness."  So  far,  then,  from 
warning  against  these  different  modes  of  manifestations 
the  prophet  hails  them  as  signs  of  the  coming  revival. 
O,  that  we  learned  wisdom  from  this  seer  who  never 
sacrificed  true  unity  to  mere  uniformity. 

G.  G. 

^V\E  would  be  one  in  hatred  of  all  wrong, 

*M     One  in  our  love  of  all  things  sweet  and  fair, 
One  with  the  joy  that  breaketh  into  song, 

One  with  the  grief  that  trembles  into  prayer, 
One  in  the  power  that  makes  Thy  children  free 
To  follow  truth  and  thus  to  follow  Thee. 


XVII.  £0e  3ntn0i8fe 

And  the  people  of  Nineveh  believed  God  and  pro- 
claimed a  fast  and  put  on  sackcloth  .  .  .  and  the  king 
arose  from  his  throne  and  laid  his  royal  robe  from  him 
and  sat  in  ashes  and  caused  it  to  be  proclaimed: 
Let  every  one  cry  mightily  unto  God,  turn  from  his 
evil  way  and  put  away  the  violence  that  is  in  his 
hand.  And  God  saw  their  works,  that  they  turned 
from  their  evil  way.  And  God  forgave  them  and  did 
not  bring  on  them  the  evil  that  He  had  sent  word  by 
Jonah,  the  prophet,  He  would  bring.  —  Jonah  ii. 

93 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

3  ENDORSE  willingly  and  with  my  whole  heart,  all 
the  good  you  say  of  the  moral  teachings  of  the 
New  Testament.  I  am  myself  assured  that  many  of 
those  things  which  Christian  Rabbis  have  ascribed  to 
Jesus,  never  entered  his  mind  or  crossed  his  lips;  things 
for  the  denial  of  which  they  slew  men  and  allowed 
themselves  to  be  slain.  A  Christianity  such  as  yours 
would  change  this  earth  into  a  paradise,  if  it  were 
generally  accepted.  In  a  matter  of  such  transcendent 
concern  to  mankind,  why  stop  to  quarrel  about  a  name? 
Call  it  Christianity  if  you  think  that  that  name  would 
be  helpful  in  speeding  on  that  golden  age;  but  that 
Christianity  is  of  a  surety,  an  Invisible  Church,  consisting 
of  Christians,  Jews,  Mohammedans,  Chinese  and  others, 
and  from  which,  above  all,  the  ancient  Greeks  and 
Romans  must  not  be  excluded.  Strange,  how  our 
judgments  conflict  with  each  other;  in  history  we 
lavish  praise  on  those  nations,  admitting  freely  that 
we  are  much  below  them  in  almost  all  things;  but 
when  we  come  to  the  reward  of  goodness  which  a  just 
God  cannot  withhold  from  anyone,  we  do  not  mention 
them,  nay,  worse,  with  wicked  ingratitude,  consign 
them  to  Orcus. 

From  a  letter  to  a  Christian,  by 

MOSES  MENDELSSOHN. 


let  each  human  spirit 
Enjoy  the  vision  bright, 
The  truth  that  comes  from  heaven 
Shall  spread  like  heaven's  own  light. 


94 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Till  earth  become  God's  temple; 

And  every  human  heart 
Shall  join  in  one  great  service, 

Each  happy  in  his  part. 

¥ 


xviii. 


Woe  unto  them  that  call  evil  good  and  good  evil ; 
that  put  darkness  for  light,  and  light  for  darkness ; 
that  put  bitter  for  sweet,  and  sweet  for  bitter. — 
Isaiah  v.  20. 


HERE  is  an  Oral  or  Traditional  Law  in  every 
healthy  society,  more  potent  than  the  written, 
which  rules  in  the  courts  of  justice;  it  is  handed  down 
from  every  honest  sire  to  his  sons  and  daughters.  By 
it,  men  and  women  are  judged  in  the  hearts  of  their 
fellowmen;  from  it  no  appeal  lies  anywhere.  There  is 
something  majestic  in  the  silent,  but  implacable  judg- 
ment of  society.  Every  respectable  man  and  woman  is 
of  the  jury.  Without  joint  consultation,  sentence  is 
pronounced.  Society  is  deeply  concerned  in  the  pres- 
ervation of  its  judicial  supremacy,  for  it  determines 
the  value  of  that  which,  to  the  upright  soul,  is  dearer 
than  life  itself — character.  Our  time  is  prolific  in  novel 
associations  of  all  kinds.  But  of  far  greater  importance 
than  any  of  these  is  the  Invisible  Grand  Lodge  of  all 
righteous  souls;  it  is  without  framed  creed,  without 
written  code,  without  recognized  symbol,  and  is  yet  one 

95 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

and  undivided.  It  speaks  the  universal  language  of 
conscience  and  its  head  is :  The  Everlasting  Master,  be- 
fore whom  there  is  no  respect  of  person. 

G.  G. 

'IVE  forth  thine  earnest  cry, 

O  Conscience,  Voice  of  God  ! 
To  young  and  old,  to  low  and  high 
Proclaim  His  will  abroad. 

Within  the  human  breast 

Thy  strong  monitions  plead, 
Still  thunder  Thy  Divine  protest 

Against  the  unrighteous  deed. 


XIX.        (glposffe*  of  (Rig#f  eoucneee. 

And  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  bright- 
ness of  the  firmament  ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to 
righteousness,  as  the  stars  forever  and  ever.  —  Daniel 
xii.  . 


feeling  of  Brotherhood  should  broaden  out  in 
the  direction  of  the  great  Teachers  and  Inspirers 
of  the  world,  the  acknowledged  Masters  of  the  human 
race.  No  blame  to  him  who  chooses  one  for  his  guide, 
nay,  for  his  God,  if  no  lower  place  can  satisfy  him  than 
the  throne  of  heaven.  But  why  must  that  make  a  man 
blind  to  the  merits  of  other  Masters,  who  "from  their 
urns  still  rule  the  world."  I  think  the  hour  is  coming, 
nay,  is  even  now,  when  the  immortal  words  of  Buddha 
and  Zoroaster,  Confucius  and  Socrates  will  be  heard,  and 

96 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

heard  gladly  in  both  Christian  and  Jewish  churches.  We 
shall  never  succeed  in  banishing  them  from  the  memory 
of  men,  never  silence  their  voices,  never  make  their 
teachings  of  no  effect.  Let  us  raise  our  eyes  some- 
times beyond  the  limits  of  our  own  faith,  that  we  may 
have  a  vision  of  the  greatness  and  the  glory  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  Let  us  ever  honor  the  mem- 
ory of  those  master-builders  that  laid  its  foundations  so 
deep  in  the  hearts  of  men  that  they  can  never  be 
moved. 

G.  G. 

@SSIST  us,  Lord,  to  act,  to  be 
What  nature  and  Thy  laws  decree, 
Worthy  that  intellectual  flame 
Which  from  Thy  breathing  spirit  came. 

May  our  expanded  souls  disclaim 
The  narrow  view,  the  selfish  aim ; 
But  with  a  generous  soul  embrace 
Whate'er  is  friendly  to  our  race. 


xx.  £0e    nbe  of 


Now,  the  man  Moses  was  more  meek  than  any 
man  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  —  Numbers  xii.  j. 

Pride  goes  before  destruction,  and  a  haughty 
spirit  before  the  fall  —  Prov.  xvi.  18. 


Chinese  carry  courtesy  so  far  as  to  praise  the  re- 
ligion of  their  neighbors  and  to  depreciate  their 
own.     You,  honored  sir,  they  would  say,    are   of  the 


97 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

noble  and  lofty  religion  of  Confucius;  I  am  of  the 
poor  and  insignificant  followers  of  Lao-tse.  There  is, 
of  course,  not  a  trace  of  sincerity  in  this;  yet,  that  sin 
of  politeness  is,  perhaps,  more  pardonable  than  our 
rudeness  in  extolling  Our  faith,  Our  church,  Our  heaven, 
Our  God  above  that  of  our  neighbors,  without  the  least 
regard  for  their  natural  sensibilities.  To  sonfe  Jews 
there  is  nothing  more  in  the  Unity  of  God  than  a  decla- 
ration against  the  Trinity,  just  as,  for  some  Christians, 
the  death  on  the  cross  was  suffered,  not  so  much  to 
save  the  believers,  as  to  damn  the  unbelievers.  Would, 
that  a  streak  of  Chinese  politeness  might  temper  our 
so-called  zeal  for  God  and  His  cause,  for  I  cannot 
but  think  that  good  manners  and  consideration  for  the 
feelings  of  our  neighbors  are  as  pleasing  in  heaven  as 
they  are  on  earth.  And  we  have  this  Pharasaic  warn- 
ing: "  Deal  gently  with  the  erring  heathen;  remember, 
he  also  follows  in  the  footsteps  of  his  parents  and  fore- 
fathers." To  which  we  may  fitly  add  the  wise  precept 
of  Philo:  "  Be  first  known  by  your  excellence  in  things 
human,  in  order  that  you  apply  yourselves,  with  profit, 
to  things  Divine."  ~  p 

xxi. 


The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth  ;  but  the 
Word  of  our  God  standeth  forever.  —  Isaiah  xl.  8. 

Bible,   what  a  book!  Large  and  wide  as  the 
world,  based  on  the  abysses  of  creation,  and  peer- 

98 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ing  aloft  into  the  bine  secrets  of  heaven ;  sunrise  and 
sunset,  promise  and  fulfillment,  birth  and  death,  the 
whole  drama  of  humanity  is  contained  in  this  One  book. 
It  is  the  book  of  God.  The  Jews  may  readily  be  recon- 
ciled to  the  loss  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  Temple,  and 
the  Ark  of  Covenant,  and  all  the  crown  jewels  of  King 
Solomon.  Such  forfeiture  is  as  naught  when  weighed 
against  the  Bible,  the  indestructible  treasure  that  they 
have  saved.  That  One  book  was  to  the  Jews  their  coun- 
try, their  possessions — at  once,  their  ruler,  and  their 
weal  and  woe.  Within  the  well-fenced  boundaries  of 
that  book  they  lived  and  had  their  being.  Absorbed  in 
the  perusal  of  their  Sacred  Book,  they  little  heeded  the 
changes  that  were  wrought  in  the  real  world  around 
them.  Nations  rose  and  vanished  ;  States  flourished 
and  decayed;  revolutions  raged  throughout  the  earth — 
but  they,  the  Jews,  sat  poring  over  this  book  uncon- 
scious of  the  wild  chase  of  time  that  rushed  on  above 
their  heads. 

HEINRICH  HEINE, 

Y  word  through  ages  gone — 

With  all  Thy  prophets  true 
We  hold  communion  there, 
The  spirits  of  the  just  made  pure 
By  sorrow  and  by  prayer. 
Those  mighty  men  of  old, 
Whose  words  were  vital  breath, 
Bestowing  faithfulness  in  life 
And  fearlessness  in  death. 

99 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXII.         ^ffotwng  (Bob'0  QUme. 

This  is  it  that  the  Lord  spake :  I  will  be  sanctified 
in  them  that  come  nigh  me,  and  before  all  the  people 
I  will  be  glorified. — Leviticus  x.  j. 


^HIRTEEN  times  in  the  Pentateuch  is  enjoined 
upon  us  the  love  of  God ;  and  when  the  temper  of 
a  man  is  filled  with  love  for  his  God,  he  needs  must 
serve  his  Maker  faithfully,  though  men  should  seek  to 
drag  him  from  the  service  by  main  force.  For  then 
man  is  filled  as  with  a  consuming  desire  to  mould  his 
life  according  to  God's  will,  and  delight  in  God  makes 
us  forget  all  the  world's  delights.  He  longs  to  see  God's 
name  hallowed,  and  to  bring  him  the  sacrifice  of  his 
undivided  love.  His  thoughts  are  ever  with  him  whose 
praises  are  sung  by  his  faithful  lips. 

ELEAZAR  BEN  YEHUDAH, 

(XIII  Century}. 

HO  seek  His  law,  and  testify 

That  there  is  none  besides  Him,  cry : 
Blessed  art  Thou,  O  Lord  ! 
Holy  and  blessed ! 

Israel,  His  people,  ceaselessly 

Cry  as  they  bend  and  bow  the  kne* : 

Blessed  art  Thou,  O  Lord ! 

Holy  and  blessed. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

*   »  *  jj 

XXIII. 


Thou  shalt  open  thine  hand  wide  unto  him  (the 
poor  amongst  thy  brethren)  and  shalt  surely  lend  him 
sufficient  for  his  need;  .  .  .  Thou  shalt  surely  give 
him,  and  thy  heart  shall  not  be  grieved  when  thou 
givest  him. — Deut.  xv.  8-10. 


3T  is  incumbent  on  every  Jewish  house  to  practice 
charity,  and  to  help  the  needy  according  to  its 
power.  For  he  who  with  compassion  offers  aid  to  the 
poor,  gives  also  a  gift  to  God.  But  charity  shall  be 
done,  wherever  possible,  in  secret;  and  he  that  does 
it  soothes  the  wrath  of  God,  excited  by  human  sins. 
Our  Rabbis  taught:  Every  collection  or  freewill  offering 
for  the  poor  shall  be  done  by  two  men ;  the  distribu- 
tion thereof,  however,  by  three;  for  this  latter  is  like 
the  decision  of  a  court  of  law.  Injustice  must  not  be 
done  to  a  poor  man ;  the  unworthy  must  receive  noth- 
ing, and  the  worthy  must  be  denied  nothing. 

The  merit  of  the  man  who  incites  to  charity  is 
greater  than  that  of  the  man  who  simply  gives  out  of 
his  overflow. 

The  smallest  gifts  given  in  this  world  are  united  in 
the  other  world  into  a  large  sum,  as  the  small  scales  are 
united  into  a  strong  armor. 

He  whose  joy  it  is  to  exercise  charity,  on  him  does 
God  bestow  worthy  recipients  of  it;  and  to  him  that 
devotes  himself  to  benevolence,  does  God  bestow  the 
means  thereto. 


AND  SHIELD. 


He  that  repulses  the  poor  that  approach  him,  re- 
sembles an  idolater  who  denies  God  who  commanded 
him  to  have  pity  on  the  poor. 

By  benevolence  man  rises  to  a  height  where  he 
meets  God;  it  is  wise,  therefore,  to  do  a  good  work  be- 
fore prayer  is  begun. 

Even  the  poor  man,  that  lives  on  alms,  shall  distrib- 
ute a  portion  of  that  which  he  receives  among  the  poor. 

RABBI  ACHAI, 
(VIII.  Century}. 

we  must  share,  if  we  would  keep 
That  blessing  from  above ; 
Ceasing  to  give  we  cease  to  have — 
Such  is  the  law  of  love. 


XXIV.      QXo  Conffict  wi$  ^ctence. 


Wisdom  crieth  without  ;  she  uttereth  her  voice  in 
the  streets  :  .  .  .  How  long  will  ye  love  ignorance, 
ye  ignorant  ?  and  scorners  delight  in  their  scorning, 
and  the  foolish  hate  knowledge?  ...  If  thou  criest 
after  knowledge  and  liftest  up  thy  voice  for  under- 
standing .  .  .  then  shalt  thou  understand  the  fear  of 
the  Lord  and  find  the  knowledge  of  God.  —  Prov.  i. 
20,  21  ;  Hi.  j,  j-. 


3UDAISM  is  the  only  religion  that  has  never  entered 
into  conflict,  and  never  can,  with  either  science  or 
social  progress,  and  that  has  witnessed,  and  still  wit- 
nesses,   all   their   conquests  without   a  sense   of   fear. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

These  are  not  hostile  forces  that  it  accepts  or  submits 
to,  merely  from  a  spirit  of  toleration  or  policy,  in  order 
to  save  the  remains  of  its  power  by  a  compromise. 
They  are  old  friendly  voices  which  it  recognizes  and 
salutes  with  joy,  for  it  has  heard  them  resound  for  cen- 
turies already  in  the  axioms  of  free  thought,  and  in  the 
cry  of  the  suffering  heart.  For  this  reason  the  Jews,  in 
all  the  countries  which  have  entered  upon  the  new  path, 
have  begun  to  take  a  share  in  all  the  great  works  of 
civilization,  in  the  triple  field  of  science,  of  art,  and  of 
action ;  and  that  share,  far  from  being  an  insignificant 
one,  is  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  brief  time  that 
has  elapsed  since  their  enfranchisement. 

JAMES  DARMSTETTER. 

How  great  is  knowledge !  behold,  the  Scriptures 
place  it  between  the  two  holy  names  of  the  Everlast- 
ing in  the  versicle  :  For  a  God  of  knowledge  is  the 
Eternal.—  The  Pharisees. 


XXV. 


Thus  saith  the  Lord  that  created  thee,  O  Jacob, 
and  He  that  formed  thee,  O  Israel,  Fear  not ;  for  I 
have  redeemed  thee,  I  have  called  thee  by  thy  name, 
thou  art  mine.  When  thou  passest  through  the  water 
I  will  be  with  thee;  and  through  the  rivers,  they  shall 
not  overflow  thee ;  when  thou  walkest  through  the 
fire,  thou  shall  not  be  burned;  neither  shall  the  flame 
kindle  upon  thee.—  Isaiah  xliii.  i,  2. 

103 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

history  of  the  Jewish  people  comprises  and 
implies  that  of  the  entire  Mediterranean  world, 
from  beginning  to  end,  rarely  entering,  and  only  by  acci- 
dent, into  the  political  and  material  aspects  of  history, 
but  concerned  with  the  ideas,  with  the  religious,  the 
social  factors,  in  short,  with  the  living  forces  of  humanity. 
The  history  of  all  other  nations,  even  of  those  exercising 
the  longest  and  most  remote  influence,  covers  only  a  sin- 
gle epoch  and  a  single  place.  Each  one  appears  and 
disappears  ;  its  part  was  played  in  a  single  period;  its 
history  is  exclusively  its  own.  The  Jewish  people, 
enduring  through  all  times,  has  helped  to  shape  all 
great  events  that  have  had  their  day ;  it  is  a  perpetual 
and  universal  witness  of  all  these  dramas,  and  by  no 
means  an  inactive  or  mute  witness,  but  closely  identi- 
fied with  them  in  action  or  in  suffering. 

JAMES  DARMSTETTER. 
ft* HEN  will  I  feed  this  sacred  fire ; 
^C/     For  wisdom's  precept  still  inquire, 
Still  pray  from  pride  and  folly  free ; 
Speak,  Lord,  Thy  servant  heareth  Thee. 

¥ 

XXVI.         faiffl  in  ffcir  ©eating. 

I  shall  not  die,  but  live,  and  declare  the  works  of  the 
Lord.  The  Lord  hath  chastened  me  sore,  but  He  hath 
not  given  me  over  to  death. — Psalm  cxviii.  17  •>  r$- 


oldest  of   races — that  one  whose  history   as  a 
separate  people  goes  farther  back  into   the  dim 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

recesses  of  antiquity,  than  the  record  of  any  existing 
tribes  of  man,  whose  singular  fate  it  is  in  these  days  to 
be  found  everywhere,  and  to  achieve  eminence  in  all 
countries  —  has  this  distinction,  among  many  others,  that 
year  by  year  it  keeps  anniversaries  of  humiliation.  The 
children  of  Israel  are  not  afraid  to  commemorate  the 
afflictions  that  have  befallen  their  ancestors  in  olden 
times,  the  visitations  that  left  their  cities  desolate,  and 
sent  their  inhabitants  wandering  through  the  world  ;  it  is, 
perhaps,  because  they  dare  to  do  this  that  they  have 
been  able  to  withstand  every  influence  which  might  in- 
duce them  to  abandon  the  traditions  that  keep  them 
separate  among  men.  They  are  capable  of  a  faith  in 
the  destinies  of  their  people  that  rises  superior  to  the 
worst  disasters  and  looks  forward  to  a  restoration  of 
glory,  while  commemorating  the  sharpest  sufferings. 

LONDON  TIMES. 


is  good  that  a  man  should  both,  hope 
ij     And  quietly  wait  for  the  salvation  of  the  Lord. 
It  is  good  for  man 

That  he  bear  the  yoke  in  his  youth  ; 
He  sitteth  alone  and  keepeth  silence  ; 
He  putteth  his  mouth  in  the  dust  ; 
He  giveth  his  cheek  to  him  that  smiteth  ; 
He  is  full  with  reproach. 
Let  us  search  and  try  our  ways, 
And  turn  again  unto  the  Lord  ; 
Let  us  lift  up  our  hearts 
With  our  hands  unto  the  God  in  heaven.  —  From  Lamentations  ,  chap.  Hi. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXVII.         (BXgBfcrg,  But  no  JSecrecg. 

I  have  not  spoken  in  secret,  in  a  dark  place  of  the 
earth  ;  I  said  not  unto  the  children  of  Jacob,  Seek  ye 
me  in  vain.  I,  the  Lord,  speak  righteousness,  I  de- 
clare things  that  are  right. — Isaiah  xlv.  ig. 


the  religion  instituted  by  Moses,  the  only  record  of 
which  we  have  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  there  is  no 
scope  for  a  distribution  of  revelations  into  public  and 
private.  There  is  no  "aside  "in  that  drama.  It  has 
been  remarked,  that,  if  the  religious  idea  of  the  antique 
Pagan  world  may  be  aptly  represented  by  the  figure  of 
Harpocrates,  the  silent  god  of  Egypt,  holding  one  of 
his  fingers  on  his  lips,  the  religion  of  Israel  is  best  de- 
scribed by  the  word:  Memra,  /.  e.,  speech,  verbum, 
logos.  The  Mosaic  system  did  not  countenance  one  law 
and  faith  for  the  high,  and  another  for  the  low ;  there 
was  no  mystery  for  any  section  of  the  community. 

T.  THEODORES. 

For  this  commandment  which  I  command  thee 
this  day,  is  not  hidden  from  thee,  neither  is  it  far  off. 
It  is  not  in  heaven,  that  thou  shouldest  say,  Who  shall 
go  up  for  us  to  heaven,  and  bring  it  unto  us,  that  we 
may  hear  it  and  do  it  ?  Neither  is  it  beyond  the  sea 
that  thou  shouldest  say,  Who  shall  go  over  the  sea  for 
us  and  bring  it  unto  us,  that  we  may  hear  it,  and  do 
it?  But  the  word  is  very  nigh  unto  thee,  in  thy 
mouth,  and  in  thy  heart,  that  thou  mayest  do  it. — 
Deut.  xxx.  i v,  14. 

106 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


LL  the  earth  I'd  wandered  over 
Seeking  still  the  Beacon  light, 
Never  tarried  in  the  day-time, 

Never  sought  repose  at  night ; 
Till  I  heard  a  reverend  preacher 

All  the  mystery  declare, 
Then  I  looked  within  my  bosom 
And  'twas  shining  brightly  there. 


xxviii.       fti$  in  $e  Jgewaffer 


Thy  righteousness  is  like  the  great  mountains ; 
thy  judgments  are  a  great  deep ;  O  Lord,  thou  pre- 
servest  man  and  beast. — Psalm  xxxvi.  6. 


Hebrew  people,  we  are  told,  had  not  a  faith 
vigorous  enough  to  accept  assurances  to  be  real- 
ized in  a  world  totally  distinct  from  that  under  the 
observation  of  their  bodily  senses.  There  might  be 
some  weight  in  this  argument,  if  it  were  but  certain 
that  a  belief  in  rewards  and  punishments  to  be  adjudged 
in  heaven  taxes  the  faculty  of  faith  more  heavily  than 
does  the  belief  in  the  triumph  of  virtue  and  the  discom- 
fiture of  vice  on  earth.  But  is  that  so  ?  The  reverse 
seems  to  be  true.  No  antagonistic  experience,  no 
stubborn  facts  avail  to  weaken  the  credentials  which 
testify  in  favor  of  a  reign  of  perfect  justice  in  the  re- 
gion of  heaven ;  while  the  experience  of  every  day's  life 
unmercifully  destroys  every  inchoate  hope  of  seeing  the 
differences  between  right  and  wrong,  good  and  bad, 

107 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

adjusted  on  this  side  of  the  grave.  Then,  still  to  per- 
severe in  such  hope,  would  argue  a  superhuman  effort 
of  faith.  .  .  .  From  beginning  to  end  the  Bible  pro- 
claims the  accountability  of  rational  beings  for  their 
actions,  and  the  ever  vigilant  justice  of  God  "who  tries 
the  hearts  and  reins."  To  admit  "retributive  justice" 
and  to  limit  its  action  to  this  life,  is  a  proceeding  so 
irrational  that  it  may  be  considered  impossible. 

T.  THEODORES. 

,  no  !  it  is  no  flattering  lure, 
No  fancy  weak  or  fond, 
When  hope  would  bid  us  rest  secure, 
In  the  better  life  beyond. 

Nor  love,  nor  shame,  nor  grief,  nor  sin, 

His  promise  may  gainsay  ; 
The  voice  divine  hath  spoke  within, 

And  God  cannot  betray. 

¥ 


XXIX.  £0e  Chosen  Qpeopfe. 


Ye  are  my  witnesses,  saith  the  Lord,  and  my  serv- 
ant whom  I  have  chosen;  that  ye  may  know  and 
believe  me,  and  understand  that  I  am  He  :  before  me 
there  was  'no  God  formed,  neither  shall  there  be  after 
me.  —  Isaiah  xliii.  10. 


HE  idea  of  a  "  Chosen  People  "  has  for  us  no  other 
meaning  than  that  of  a  people   placed   into  the 


108 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

world  to  do  God's  work  amongst  men;  it  implies  no 
inborn  superiority  of  race  or  descent,  least  of  all,  any 
favoritism  in  heaven.  ''God  is  no  respecter  of  per- 
sons; "  that  word  came  from  a  Hebrew  mind  thousands 
of  years  ago,  and  still  forms  one  of  the  foundation 
truths  of  our  creed.  It  is  not  contravened  by  our 
prayers,  nor  has  it  been  falsified  by  Jewish  feelings 
towards  non-Jews  at  any  time — save  only  when  the 
non-Jews  acted  towards  the  Jews  as  non-men.  And 
that  other  word,  than  which  no~  greater  has  yet  been 
uttered,  and  about  the  ownership  of  which  religions  still 
wrangle,  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself" — 
although  the  charter  where  it  first  appeared  is  in  every- 
body's hand — forbids  us  to  countenance  the  least  restric- 
tion of  human  rights  based  solely  on  differences  of  race, 
station,  culture  or  religion.  And  what  has  the  distinc- 
tion, claimed  by  Israel,  been  through  these  long  cen- 
turies, aye,  what  is  it  to-day  but  a  crown  of  thorns  ? 
What,  but  a  faith,  strong  as  fate,  has  kept  him  from 
tearing  it  from  his  head  and  chasing  from  his  breast 
forever  all  Messianic  dreams  of  a  reign  of  righteousness 
and  peace  on  earth  ? 

G.  G. 

CLOTHE  us  with  Thy  heavenly  armor,  Lord ! 

Thy  trusty  shield,  Thy  word  of  love  divine; 
Our  inspiration  be  thy  constant  word ; 
We  ask  no  victories  that  are  not  thine ; 
Give  or  withhold,  let  pain  or  pleasure  be, 
Enough  to  know  that  we  are  serving  Thee. 

109 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XXX. 


And  there  ran  a  young  man,  and  told  Moses,  and 
said,  Eldad  and  Medad  do  prophecy  in  the  camp. 
And  Joshua,  who  ministered  to  Moses,  one  of  his  dis- 
ciples said  :  My  lord  Moses,  forbid  them.  But  Moses 
said  to  him :  Enviest  thou  for  my  sake  ?  Would 
God  that  all  the  Lord's  people  were  prophets  and 
that  the  Lord  would  put  His  spirit  upon  them. — Num- 
bers xi.  27,  29. 


old  question  of  the  Messiah,  that  has  proved  so 
tragic  to  its  first  propounders,  has  at  last  ceased  to 
be  a  question  for  many  of  the  Jews  of  to-day;  not,  how- 
ever, because  they  have  found  the  person  to  whom  the 
title  appertains,  but  because  they  have  eliminated  from 
it  the  personal  element  altogether.  They  have  trans- 
ferred the  idea  from  man  to  mankind,  and  thus  put  an 
end  to  all  controversy,  on  that  point,  with  other  creeds 
and  churches.  Nor  is  their  position  an  altogether  new 
creation.  Some  of  the  Pharisees  of  old  have  at  least 
hinted  at  it.  What  did  they  mean  by  saying:  "The 
days  of  Messiah  are  from  Adam  until  now,"  but  this 
that  the  soul  of  the  great  hope  lies  in  the  gradual  devel- 
opment of  the  latent  powers  of  man  towards  that  state 
of  this  world's  happiness,  which  ravished  the  eyes  and 
inspired  the  lips  of  the  ancient  seers  ?  Rising  from 
stage  to  stage,  the  vision  assumed  the  expression  con- 
sonant with  the  periods  through  which  it  passed,  but 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

also  left  them  behind  when  outgrown.  Nothing  can 
save  the  temporal  from  the  tooth  of  time ;  and  temporal 
are  all  history  and  all  actors  of  history.  Their  influence 
alone  endures,  yet,  not  intact,  but  assimilated  with  all 
the  other  ideas  that  dominate  the  living  generations. 
Who  can  separate  the  threads  out  of  which  our  present 
faith  has  been  woven?  of  a  truth,  the  days  of  Messiah 
are  from  Adam  till  now,  and  the  only  legitimate 
problems  connected  with  that  conception,  are  the  living 
problems  of  to-day  ;  leave  we,  therefore,  the  past  to  the 
student,  the  dreamer,  the  artist,  and  the  creed-builder. 

G.  G. 


PART  SECOND. 


I.  £fc  fruit  of 


Have  we  not  all  One  Father  ?  Hath  not  One  God 
created  us  all?  Why  do  we  deal  treacherously,  a 
man  against  his  neighbor,  and  profane  the  covenant 
of  our  fathers  ? — Malachi  ii.  10. 


faith  in  the  Unity  of  God,  that  chief  corner- 
stone of  Judaism,  is  now  conceived  of  far  more  in  its 
delusive,  than  in  its  Delusive  bearing.  Once  an  inevi- 
table cause  of  isolation,  and  of  rigorous  seclusion  from 
the  surrounding  nations,  under  the  new  conception  it 
becomes  an  incentive  to  seek  their  fellowship  in  all 
things  good,  true,  and  beneficent.  Faith  in  the  One 
Father  in  heaven  imposes  upon  us  the  obligation  to  seek 
the  brotherhood  of  man  on  earth.  The  fear  of  losing 
our  identity  and,  with  it,  our  faith,  by  the  free  inter- 
course with  our  neighbors  haunts  us  no  longer.  Our 
allies  count  by  the  millions,  and  science  is  on  our  side. 
But  even  if  the  danger  still  existed,  we  could  not,  for 
that  reason,  recede  from  the  position  we  have  taken 
towards  our  fellow  citizens.  If  the  Unity  of  God  does 
not  lead  to  the  brotherhood  of  man,  perhaps  the  broth- 
erhood of  man  will  lead  to  the  Unity  of  God.  But 
whether  or  not — what  but  good  can  come  from  the  cul- 
tivation of  kindly  feelings  between  a  man  and  his 

"5 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

neighbor,  and  from  the  acknowledgment  of  the  equal 
rights  of  all  men  in  the  High  Court  of  Eternal  Justice  ? 

G.   G. 

ORD,  let  the  flames  of  holy  charity 
And  all  her  gifts  and  graces  glide 
Into  our  hearts  and  there  abide ; 
That,  thus  refined,  we  may  soar  above 
With  it  into  the  element  of  Love 
Even  unto  Thee,  dear  Spirit, 
And  there  eternal  peace  and  rest  inherit. 

¥ 

b  of  (protni0e  <x  fednb  of  (gtemorte*. 

From    Zion    shall  go  forth  the  Doctrine  and  the 
Word  of  God  from  Jerusalem. — Isaiah  it.  j. 


land  of  Palestine  must  remain  venerable  to 
the  Jew  for  all  times;  there  were  revealed  the 
things  which  the  world  has  accepted  as  true  ;  there 
were  the  spiritual  battles  fought  that  .secured  their 
victory.  There  did  our  Seers  see  their  visions  and  send 
forth  their  light  over  the  earth  ;  there  did  our  Bards 
indite  the  psalmodies  that  have  uplifted,  soothed,  and 
strengthened  the  hearts  of  countless  millions.  There 
stood  Jerusalem,  the  City  of  the  Great  King,  and  in  her 
midst  rose  the  Temple  of  the  living  and  merciful  God. 
It  is  ours  still  in  remembrance ;  but  no  other  ownership 
is  hoped  for.  Our  country  in  the  fullest  sense  of  that 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

sacred  word,  including  its  sternest  obligations  of 
self-sacrifice,  is  the  land  of  our  birth  or  our  adoption  ; 
our  nation,  that  with  which  we  are  identified  in  feelings, 
in  interest,  and  in  love.  Wonderful,  however,  are  the 
ways  of  Providence;  the  "  Promised  Land,"  although 
wrenched  from  Israel  well  nigh  two  thousand  years 
ago,  is  still  looked  to  by  many  with  yearning  eyes. 
Pious  men  and  women  go  thither  with  their  burden  of 
years  to  die,  that  their  ashes  may  rest  where  Abraham, 
Isaac  and  Jacob  sleep;  aye,  and  in  these  latter  days, 
many  more  in  the  prime  of  their  strength  seek  its  soil, 
not  to  die,  but  to  live  happier  lives  than  is  permitted 
them  in  their  homes;  and  it  seems  indeed  that  the 
Lord  is  prospering  the  work  of  their  hands.  Who  can 
tell  the  counsels  of  the  Lord  ! 

G.  G. 
¥ 

III. 


They  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy  —  Psalm 
cxxvi.  jf. 

Seek  ye  the  peace  of  the  city  whither  I  have 
caused  ye  to  be  carried  away  captives,  and  pray  unto 
the  Lord  for  it  ;  for  in  the  peace  thereof  shall  ye 
have  peace.  —  Jerem,  xxix.  f. 


the  new  development  of  the  Messianic  idea  there 
came  a  change  in  the  view  taken  of  the  dispersion 
of  Israel.  In  all  calamities,  especially  in  national  catas- 
trophies,  there  is  an  element  of  Divine  retribution,  no 


117 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

doubt;  and  so  it  was  in  the  final  overthrow  of  the 
Hebrew  Commonwealth;  but  it  was  not  retribution 
alone,  as  so  many  think,  and  as  the  Jews  themselves 
have  believed  for  so  long  a  time.  If  the  fall  of  Israel 
was  punishment  for  sin,  and  no  more — what  shall  we 
say  of  their  wonderful  heroism,  of  their  willingness  to 
die  for  their  country  and  their  sanctuary?  Or,  does  that 
which  covers  all  other  nations  with  glory,  only  mark 
the  shame  of  that  one  nation?  Judea  died  the  death  of 
a  heroine,  and  her  funeral  pyre  was  worthy  of  her  great- 
ness. Her  sins  were  the  sins  of  despair;  and  her  choice, 
death  rather  than  slavery,  rather  than  shame!  Was 
there  no  virtue  in  this,  and  is  God  not  just?  I  say,  He 
is,  and  remembers  mercy  in  His  wrath.  All  His  punish- 
ments are  meant  for  rewards  in  the  end.  He  that 
curses  the  sinner,  curses  God ;  as  he  that  mocketh  the 
poor,  mocketh  his  Maker.  God  has  scattered  us  over  the 
earth;  and  now  we  know  that  His  vineyards  are  every- 
where over  that  earth,  and  that  He  has  called  us  to  labor 
in  them  by  the  side  of  his  other  laborers;  so  that  the 
time  may  come  when  every  one  shall  sit  under  his  vine 
and  his  fig-tree,  and  there  shall  be  none  to  frighten  them. 

G.  G. 

'OD  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 

His  wonders  to  perform ; 
He  plants  his  footsteps  in  the  sea 

And  rides  upon  the  storm. 
Deep  in  unfathomable  mines 

Of  never-failing  skill, 
He  treasures  up  His  own  designs, 
And  works  His  Sovereign  Will. 

1x8 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

IV.  tfy,  QUO  feife. 


Behold,  I  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth 
.  .  .  and  ye  shall  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  that  which 
I  create.  .  .  . — Isaiah,  xlv.  77,  18, 


/JTXUR  inspiring  thought  is  this:  that  the  faith  of  Juda- 
ism, withal  so  simple  in  its  teachings,  yet  so  far- 
reaching;  so  free  from  mysticism,  yet  keeping  the  mys- 
tery of  mysteries  always  before  the  mind;  with  love, 
obedience  and  righteousness  for  the  only  test  of  true 
faith,  should  have  passed  through  all  its  evolutions 
without  losing  its  identity ;  that  it  should  have  survived 
the  strokes  which  the  world  has  inflicted  upon  it,  losing 
nothing  of  its  vitality.  For  no  sooner  did  the  Jews  feel 
the  morning  air  of  the  new  day,  than  they  bestirred 
themselves  and  were  up  and  doing,  to  adjust  and  re-fit 
their  church  to  the  requirements  of  the  time  that  now  is. 
Even  if  they  failed  in  their  purpose,  the  mere  will  and 
the  daring  of  the  thought  should  command  the  respect 
of  the  fair-minded,  and  prove  that  this  is  not  a  dead  faith, 
or  a  dying.  Behold  the  followers  of  Moses,  the  sons  of 
the  Prophets,  the  disciples  of  the  Wise  Men,  the  schol- 
ars of  the  Pharisaic  Rabbis — now  in  the  midst  of  the 
new  movement,  thankful  to  receive  their  share,  rejoiced 
to  do  their  part  in  the  grand  work  of  leading  the  relig- 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ious  life  of  mankind  into  the  new  channels  which  God 
has  opened  for  it  in  these  glorious  days. 

O  Thee  whose  temple  is  all  space, 

Whose  altar  earth,  sea,  skies  ; 
One  chorus  let  all  beings  raise, 
All  nature's  incense  rise. 

¥ 

V.  ©eeb  (B  Creeb. 

The    righteous    man   shall    live    in  his   faith. — 
Habakkuk  ii.  4. 


necessity  to  formulate  an  authoritative  creed 
for  the  guidance  of  the  illiterate  has  not  existed 
in  the  synagogue,  which  has  never  had  any  dark  ages. 
The  Jew  always  had  access  to  his  Scriptures,  because 
there  was  scarcely  ever  a  time  in  which  even  the  com- 
mon people  did  not  understand  more  or  less  of  the 
language  in  which  they  were  written.  An  illiterate 
clergy  was  a  thing  unknown  in  Jewry.  Besides,  the 
Jewish  creed  is  essentially  simple,  affording  little  scope 
for  the  elaboration  of  complex  formulas.  It  is  true 
that  Maimonides  compiled  a  creed;  but  it  has  always 
been  felt  by  thoughtful  Jews  that  the  compilation  was 
a  serious  mistake.  Judaism  owes  no  small  measure  of 
its  strength  and  vitality  to  its  comparative  freedom 
from  the  attempts  of  theologians  to  stereotype  its  living 
truths  in  declarations  of  faith,  which  may  represent  the 
point  of  view  of  one  generation,  but  may  not  harmon- 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ize  with  the  convictions  of  a  later  age.  The  creed 
which  relates  to  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  is  a  case  in 
point.  Some  Jewish  teachers  refuse  to  accept  it.  Sub- 
sequent authorities  have,  therefore,  sought  to  reduce 
the  Thirteen  Articles  to  three  fundamental  principles  — 
the  existence  of  One  God;  Revelation;  and  Reward  and 
Punishment.  Yet  others  have  thought  even  this  too 
elaborate  a  formulary,  declaring  that  Judaism  rests  on 
only  one  fundamental  article  —  the  Unity  of  God.  But 
however  the  numbers  of  Jewish  creeds  have  varied, 
there  has  been  a  universal  tendency  among  Jews  to 
attach  less  importance  to  matters  of  faith  than  of  prac- 
tice, and  no  teacher  in  Israel  has  ever  ventured  to  de- 
clare that  the  failure  to  accept  a  particular  set  of 
dogmas  will  involve  the  soul  in  everlasting  perdition. 
THE  LONDON  JEWISH  CHRONICLE. 

E  thought  I  have,  my  ample  creed, 
So  deep  it  is  and  broad, 
And  equal  to  my  every  need  — 
It  is  the  thought  of  God. 


VI.  T£0en  ft  t0e  (Boob  time? 

Say  not  thou,  What  is  the  'cause  that  the  former 
days  were  better  than  these  ?  For  thou  doest  not  ask 
wisely  concerning  this.  —  Ecclesiastes  vii,  10. 


HE  tendency  to  magnify  the  past  at  the  cost  of  the 
present  is  one  of  man's  ruling  weaknesses;  for  it 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

is  as  old  as  his  memory.  Paradise  was  lost  when  his- 
tory began  to  be  told ;  and  the  golden  age  had  passed 
when  man  had  risen  far  enough  to  divide  time.  The  gods 
and  heroes  with  which  -the  ever  regretful  heart  of  man 
peopled  the  earth,  no  doubt  asked  the  same  question 
which  the  writer  of  Ecclesiastes  calls  unwise,  and 
which  Horace  ridiculed.  A  few  years  hence  we  shall 
be  called  happy  to  have  lived  in  days  which  we  brand 
as  mean,  prosaic  and  self-seeking.  Does  not  Jeremiah 
himself  write:  "Go  and  cry  in  the  ears  of  Jerusalem, 
saying:  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  remember  thee  the 
kindness  of  thy  youth,  the  love  of  thine  espousals  when 
thou  wentest  after  me  in  the  wilderness,  in  the  land 
that  was  not  sown.  Then  was  Israel  holiness  unto  the 
Lord  and  the  first  fruit  of  His  increase"  (Jeremiah  ii. 
2,  3).  One  must  not  contradict  Jeremiah;  but  I  cannot 
help  believing  that  his  generation  was  fully  as  good,  as 
religious,  as  devout,  as  the  poor  fugitives  from  Egpyt, 
who  knew  not  what  to  do  with  their  liberty  when  they 
got  it ;  and  that  in  civilization  they  were  far  in  advance 
of  their  forefathers. 

G.  G. 

@BIDE  not  in  the  realm  of  dreams, 
O  man,  however  fair  it  seems ; 
But  with  clear  eye  the  present  scan 
And  hear  the  call  of  God  and  man. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

VII.  t$e  <E»oob  of 


Learn  to  do  well ;  seek  judgment,  relieve  the 
oppressed,  judge  tbe  fatherless,  plead  for  the  widow; 
then  come  and  let  us  reason  together,  saith  the  Lord ; 
though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white 
as  snow.  .  .  .  — Isaiah  i.  77,  /<?. 


3N  regard  to  piety,  however,  it  seems  undeniable  that 
the  former  days  were  better  than  the  latter;  and  yet, 
here  also  are  some  things  which  redeem  our  time.  If  our 
religion  is  less  in  quantity,  it  is  better  in  quality,  more 
rational,  more  liberal,  more  practical.  Ceremonials  are 
not  always  helpful;  sometimes,  on  the  contrary,  they 
hide  the  pure  light  of  a  faith.  If  our  sentiments  as 
Jews  are  less  intense,  our  ideas  have  been  enlarged,  and 
our  sympathies  have  been  widened.  If  we  do  not  re- 
ceive every  word  of  the  Bible  as  coming  directly  from 
God,  we  have  gained  a  clearer  and  fuller  knowledge  of 
its  history,  and  treat  that  as  God's  Revelation.  The 
personal  Messiah  has  faded  from  our  belief;  but  not 
the  grand  hope  of  humanity's  redemption  from  the  evils 
of  war  and  oppression,  of  which  that  personality  was 
only  the  temporary  expression.  Shorter  prayers  do 
not  prove  less  devotion,  and  the  Talmudic  doctors  have 
left  us  this  wise  rule :  there  is  a  time  to  lengthen,  and 
there  is  a  time  to  shorten,  prayer;  and  again:  better 
a  short  prayer  with  inward  devotion,  than  a  long  one 
without  it.  ~  ~ 

(jr.   vx. 

123 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


!  let  my  converse,  Lord,  with  Thee, 
From  bonds  of  errors  set  me  free ; 
Let  th'  enlightening  of  my  mind, 
Remove  the  shades  that  keep  me  blind. 


VIII. 


With  the  ancient  is  wisdom ;  and  in  length  of 
days  understanding. — Job  xii.  12. 

The  hoary  head  is  a  crown  of  glory  ;  it  is  found 
in  the  way  of  righteousness. — Prov.  xvi.  j/. 


of  the  strongest  evidences  of  the  ethical  genius 
of  our  religion  is  the  inculcation  of  reverence  for 
the  hoary  head.  Feeble  in  body,  bending  his  trembling 
steps  toward  the  grave,  he  sometimes  sinks  to  the  help- 
lessness of  childhood ;  but  within  that  withering  frame 
lives  a  deathless  soul,  which  came  from  God;  a  soul 
where  there  are  found  treasures  of  experience  and  golden 
rules  of  wisdom ;  a  soul  hastening  onward  toward  its 
higher  destiny.  The  carnal  eye  regards  only  the  out- 
ward appearance.  Youth,  in  its  bloom,  manhood  in  its 
strength  are  esteemed  far  more  highly,  than  weak  and 
decaying  age ;  but  as  soon  as  reverence  for  the  super- 
natural, especially  for  the  allpervading  Spirit  enters  into 
our  heart,  it  needs  must  create  a  like  reverence  for  the 
spirit  inhabiting  the  frail  tenement.  The  compassion 
which  our  teacher  Moses  enjoins  towards  all  the  feeble 
and  the  helpless,  is,  in  this  instance,  deepened  to  a 


124 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

worshipful  sense  of  reverence  ;  which  manifests  itself  in 
our  conduct  towards  the  aged  on  all  occasions.  And 
this  is  the  connection  in  which  these  two  sentences  are 
linked  together:  Thou  shalt  rise  up  before  the  hoary 
head  and  honor  the  face  of  the  aged;  I  am  the  Lord, 
thy  God.  —  Lev.  xix.  32. 

DAVID  EINHORN. 

^f  O  we  love  with  no  less  loving 
£3r     Hair  that  turns  to  gray, 
Or  a  step  less  lightly  moving 

In  life's  autumn  day. 
And  if  thought,  still  brooding,  lingers 

O'er  each  bygone  thing, 
'  Tis  because  old  autumn's  fingers 

Paint  in  hues  of  spring. 


IX.  £0e  QBfoomtnot  (gob. 


And  on  the  morning,  Moses  went  into  the  taber- 
nacle of  assembly,  and,  behold,  the  rod  of  Aaron  for 
the  house  of  Levy  was  budded  and  brought  forth,  and 
bloomed  blossoms  and  yielded  almonds.  —  Numbers 
xvii.  8. 


blossom,  fruit — all  three  appeared  at  the 
^^  same  time.  Suppose  we  let  the  bud  stand  for  the 
religious  faculty,  the  blossom  for  worship,  the  fruit  for 
life — the  Rod  would  then  be  a  beautiful  symbol  of  the 
man  worthy  to  minister  at  the  altar,  and  we  could  notice 
that  the  rule:  "  A  tree  shall  be  known  by  its  fruit"  is 
good  Jewish  doctrine  and  of  old  value,  too,  and  recog- 
nition. Also  this  we  would  learn,  or  find  confirmed : 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

that  a  religion  should  not  lose  herself  in  forms  that  are 
without  vital  force,  nor  bury  her  face  in  ancient  scrolls 
whilst  stopping  her  ears  to  the  voices  of  to-day;  but 
should  look  around  and  mark  the  signs  of  the  time,  and 
heed  the  needs  of  the  hour  that  now  is;  since  it  is  as 
necessary  for  this  generation  that  truth  and  justice  and 
love  and  mercy  be  exalted  as  it  was  in  ages  past,  but 
this  can  never  be  unless  we  follow  Moses,  take  the 
Rod  from  the  tabernacle  and  show  it  the  people  and  thus 
"  make  to  cease  their  murmurings,"  whereby  they  mur- 
mur against  a  lifeless,  and,  therefore,  profitless  church. 

G.  G. 

T^HIRSTING  for  a  living  spring, 
\S     Seeking  for  a  higher  home, 
Resting  where  bur  souls  must  cling, 
Trusting,  hoping,  Lord,  we  come. 

Make  us  beautiful  within, 

By  Thy  spirit's  holy  light ; 
Guard  us  when  our  faith  burns  dim, 

Father  of  all  love  and  might. 

¥ 

X.  (pa0f  anb  (present. 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts  :  If  thou  wilt  walk 
in  My  ways  and  keep  My  charge,  then  thou  shall 
judge  My  house  and  shall  also  keep  My  charge ;  and 
I  will  give  thee  such  as  walk  between  those  lhal 
sland  still. — Zechariah  Hi.  7. 


EVER  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  present  rests 
upon  the  past ;  the  latter  may  be  understood  with- 
out the  first,  but   not   the  reverse.     All  great  periods 


126 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

of  reform  were  retrospective;  all  reformers  planted 
their  feet  firmly  on  the  rocks  beneath  them,  and  drew 
their  strength  from  the  wealth  stored  up  by  their 
forerunners;  just  as  we  now  go  to  the  coal-beds  for  the 
light  and  the  heat  deposited  there  by  the  sun,  ages  ago. 
One  of  the  latest  branches  of  science  (sociology)  not 
only  starts  with  the  rudest  elements  of  social  order,  but 
goes  behind  that  and  questions  the  records  of  rock 
caverns  and  lake  dwellings  for  the  doings  of  primitive 
man.  Nature  is  irresistible;  that  which  is  to  live  must 
follow  her  methods;  and  her  rule  is:  evolution,  not 
revolution.  Only  by  carefully  questioning  the  past  can 
we  learn  so  to  reform  our  faith  as  to  bring  it  into  line 
with  the  beneficent  agencies  of  our  time,  and  satisfy 
the  needs  of  the  Israelite  of  to-day. 

G.  G. 

JJ^RAISE,  praise  to  God  on  high, 
\p         To  Thee,  all  gracious  One  ! 
For  all  the  teaching  of  Thy  will, 

Thy  word  through  ages  gone. 
With  all  Thy  prophets  true, 

We  hold  communion  there  ; 
The  spirit  of  the  just  made  pure 

By  sorrow  and  by  prayer. 

¥ 

XL 


And  now,  O  Israel,  what  does  the  Lord,  thy  God, 
require  of  thee,  but  to  fear  Him,  to  walk  in  all  His 
ways,  to  love  Him  and  to  serve  Him  with  all  thy 
heart  and  all  thy  soul.  —  Deut,  x.  12* 


real  question  to  ask  about  any  form  of  religious 
belief  is:  Does  it  kindle  the  fire  of  love?     Does  it 


127 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

make  the  life  stronger,  sweeter,  purer,  nobler  ?  Does 
it  run  through  the  whole  society  like  a  cleansing  flame, 
burning  up  that  which  is  mean  and  base  and  selfish  and 
impure  ?  If  it  stands  this  test,  it  is  no  heresy. 
There  is  but  one  church  of  the  true  child  of  God,  and 
unfaithfulness  is  the  only  infidelity.  I  am  so  con- 
vinced that  there  is  no  error  more  fatal  than  the  notion 
that  correct  belief  or  church  membership  is  of  any 
value  whatever,  in  comparison  with  that  righteousness 
of  life  which  is  the  be-all  and  end-all  of  true  religion, 
that  I  say  plainly — and,  if  I  could  find  words  to  say  it 
yet  more  plainly,  I  would  say  it  yet  more  plainly — I 
would  rather  that  any  man  should  be  a  Romanist  or  a 
Dissenter  or  a  Buddhist  or  a  Mohammedan,  so  that  he 
were  a  holy  and  godly  man,  than  ten  times  over  a 
member  of  the  most  catholic  church  that  ever  existed, 
and  be  a  sly  intriguer,  or  a  rancorous  slanderer,  or  an 
unclean  liver,  or  a  professed  liar,  or,  in  any  one  form  of 
conscious  wickedness,  a  hypocrite  and  a  bad  man. 

F.  W.  FARRAR. 


Why  was  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  overlaid  with 
pure  gold,  both  outside  and  inside  ?  To  teach  that 
he  only  is  a  worthy  Master  of  the  Law  who  is  as  true 
and  as  pure  in  his  heart  as  he  would  appear  before 
men.  And  why  was  the  coffin  of  Joseph  carried  by 
the  side  of  the  Ark  ?  To  testify  that  he  who  slept  in 
the  one  fulfilled  the  whole  law  contained  in  the  other. 

—  The  Pharisees. 

128 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XII.        £6e  iKcaftng  Jknb  of 


A  voice  was  heard  upon  the  high  places,  weeping, 
and  supplications  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  for  they  have 
perverted  their  way  and  they  have  forgotten  the  Lord, 
their  God.  Return,  ye  backsliding  children,  I  will  heal 
your  backslidings !  Behold,  we  come  unto  Thee,  for 
Thou  art  the  Lord,  our  God. — Jeremiah  Hi.  21,  22. 


may  compare  the  life  of  Israel  to  the  life  of  a 
healthy  man.  At  first  he  was  young,  and 
advanced  from  one  thing  to  another;  then  he  arrived  at 
middle  age  and  remained  for  a  long  time  in  the  best 
condition ;  then  diseases  came  upon  him  and  maladies, 
and  his  health  was  undone  and  his  visage  marred,  and 
it  is  as  if  he  had  never  been  healthy  at  all,  and  it  is 
almost  as  if  naught  were  left  to  him  wof  his  former 
appearance;  for  all  is  changed;  he  is,  for  a  time, 
as  if  he  had  never  been  healthy  at  all,  and  it  is  almost 
as  if  nought  were  left  to  him  of  his  former  appearance ; 
for,  all  is  changed,  and  he  is,  for  a  time,  despaired 
of.  After  that,  however,  his  condition  improves, 
and  the  body  begins  to  recover  perceptibly ;  it  heals 
little  by  little;  he  returns  to  his  health,  and  it  is 
as  if  he  had  never  been  sick  at  all.  So  God  knew  be- 
forehand Israel's  firmness  in  obedience,  but  describes 
the  corruptions  of  our  condition  between  the  two 
periods,  and  threatens  Israel  with  every  possible  calam- 
ity and  misfortune;  but  He  declares  at  the  end,  that  in 
spite  of  their  corruption  and  of  His  punishing  them, 


129 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

He  would  not  hate  them  nor  cast  them  off,  and  that 
God's  anger  was  but  chastisement  for  disobedience. 
For  Scripture  calls  calamity  correction  in  the  well- 
known  verse :  ' '  As  a  man  chasteneth  his  son,  even  so 
does  the  Lord,  thy  God,  chasten  thee."  And  God,  the 
exalted  One,  proclaimed,  in  this  sense,  to  his  first 
apostle :  ' '  Yet  for  all  that,  when  they  be  in  the  land  of 
their  enemies,  I  will  not  cast  them  away,  neither  will  I 
abhor  them  to  destroy  them." 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 


XIII.  (Un8tofeen  in 


Israel  shall  be  saved  in  the  Lord  with  an  enduring 
salvation  ;  ye  shall  not  be  ashamed  or  confounded  at 
any  time  —  Isaiah  xlv.  77. 

Wisdom  strengtheneth  a  man  more  than  ten 
mighty  men  that  are  in  a  city  —  Ecclesiastes  vii.  ig. 


EXT  to  the  selection  that  has  been  in  operation  for 
centuries,  it  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  antiquity  and  the 
continuity  of  their  civilization  that  throws  some  light 
upon  the  Jews,  as  well  as  upon  the  place  they  occupy 
in  our  midst.  They  were  here  before  us;  they  are  our 
elders.  Their  children  were  taught  to  read  from  the 
scrolls  of  the  Tora  before  our  Latin  alphabet  had 
reached  its  final  form,  long  before  Cyrillus  and  Meth- 
odius had  given  writing  to  the  Slavs,  and  before  the 

130 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Runic  characters  were  known  to  the  Germans  of  the 
North.  As  compared  with  the  Jews,  we  are  young, 
we  are  new-comers;  in  the  matter  of  civilization  they 
are  far  ahead  of  us.  It  was  in  vain  that  we  locked  them 
up  for  several  hundred  years  behind  the  walls  of  the 
Ghetto;  no  sooner  were  their  prison  gates  unbarred 
than  they  easily  caught  up  with  us,  even  on  those  paths 
which  we  had  opened  up  without  their  aid. 

ANATOLE  LEROY  BEAULIEU. 

(Yft  OCKS  and  jeers  were  all  its  portion, 
\i*        Death  assailed  it  in  ten  thousand  forms, 
Yet  this  people  never  faltered ; 
Hope,  its  beacon,  led  it  through  all  storms. 


XIV.  Qfe  £orc0  of 


And  when  the  king  sitteth  upon  the  throne  of  his 
kingdom,  he  shall  write  him  a  copy  of  this  Law  in  a 
book,  out  of  that  which  is  before  the  Priests  the 
Levites,  and  it  shall  be  with  him  and  he  shall  read 
therein  all  the  days  of  his  life.  .  .  .  —  Deut.  xvii. 
18,  79. 

Get  wisdom,  get  knowledge.  .  .  .  Forsake  her 
not,  and  she  shall  preserve  thee  ;  love  her  and  she 
shall  keep  thee.  —  Proverbs  iv.  J,  6. 


^EARNING  was   for   two   thousand   years  the   sole 

claim  to  distinction  recognized  by  Israel.     To  the 

scholar  were  accorded  all  the  honors.     "  The  scholar," 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

says  the  Talmud,  "  takes  precedence  over  the  king;  the 
learned  bastard  over  the  ignorant  high-priest."  What 
a  contrast  to  this  is  afforded  by  our  Western  barbarians, 
the  Franks,  the  Goths,  and  the  Lombards.  Israel 
remained  faithful  to  this  precept  throughout  all  her 
humiliations.  Whenever,  in  Christian  or  Moslem  lands, 
a  hostile  hand  closed  her  schools,  the  rabbis  crossed  the 
seas  to  reopen  their  academies  in  a  distant  country. 
Like  the  legendary  wandering  Jew,  the  flickering  torch 
of  Jewish  science  thus  passed  from  East  to  West,  from 
North  to  South,  changing  every  two  or  three  hundred 
years  from  one  country  to  another.  Whenever  a  royal 
edict  commanded  them  to  leave,  within  three  months, 
the  country  in  which  their  fathers  had  been  buried  and 
their  sons  had  been  born,  the  treasure  which  the  Jews 
were  most  anxious  to  carry  away  with  them  was  their 
books.  Among  all  the  auto-da-fes  which  the  daughter 
of  Zion  has  had  to  witness,  none  has  cost  her  such  bitter 
tears  as  those  flames  which,  during  the  Middle  Ages, 
greedily  consumed  the  scrolls  of  the  Talmud. 

ANATOLE  LEROY  BEAULIEU. 


E  light  pours  down  from  heaven  \ 
And  enters  where  it  may  ; 
The  eyes  of  all  earth's  children 

Are  cheered  with  one  bright  ray. 
So  let  the  mind's  true  sunshine 
Be  spread  o'er  earth  as  free, 
And  fill  men's  waiting  spirits 
As  the  waters  fill  the  sea. 

132 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

XV.  Stiff  on 


Behold,  my  servant  shall  deal  prudently ;  he  shall 
be  exalted  and  extolled,  and  be  very  high,  although 
many  were  astonished  at  him,  his  visage  was  so 
marred  more  than  any  man,  and  his  form  more  than 
the  sons  of  man. — Isaiah  Hi.  ij,  14, 


3T  is  said  that  families,  nations,  races  are  bound  to 
exhaust  themselves.  The  Jew  is  a  proof  to  the  con- 
trary, at  least  in  regard  to  intellect.  Though  his  blood 
may,  at  times,  seem  impoverished,  his  appearance  old, 
and  his  body  wasted,  even  stunted  and  deformed,  yet  his 
mind  is  always  alert;  old  it  may  be,  by  antiquity  of 
culture,  but  never  in  the  least  decrepit  or  senile.  And 
even  when  the  Jew's  body  appears  to  us  broken  and 
degraded,  this  is  less  the  result  of  years  than  of  suffering. 
In  looking  at  the  pale  Jews  of  certain  Eastern  and 
Oriental  towns,  those  Jews,  for  example,  who  live  on 
the  shores  of  the  lake  whence  the  fishermen  set  out  who 
have  taken  the  world  in  their  nets,  we  might  say  that 
Israel  was  an  exhausted  race.  Its  degeneration  seems 
to  include  the  soul  as  well  as  the  body.  But  even  in 
these  bloodless  and  degraded  Jews  there  abides  a  secret 
vitality,  a  marvelous  power  of  recuperation  and  rejuve- 
nation. There  is  sap  in  them  still,  and,  to  convince 
ourselves  of  this,  it  is  often  sufficient  to  transplant 
them  from  the  poor  soil  of  the  eastern  Jewries  to  the 
rich  lands  of  the  West. 

ANATOLE  LEROY  BEAULIEU. 


133 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Watchman,  what  of  the  night,  Watchman,  what  of 
the  night  ?  The  watchman  said  :  the  morning  cometh, 
although  there  is  now  night ;  if  ye  will  inquire,  inquire 
ye,  return  !  come !  — Isaiah  xxi.  //,  12. 


XVI.       £0e  (QUn  Qf)o66C0ec*>  "of  (Bob. 


Then  said  I,  oh,  Lord,  I  cannot  speak,  for  I  am 
only  a  youth.  But  the  Lord  said  unto  me  :  Say  not 
I  am  young,  for  thou  shalt  go  to  all  that  I  shall  send 
thee,  and  whatever  I  command  thee,  thou  shalt  speak 
— Jeremiah  i.  6,  7. 


rtYROPHECY  is  not  a  phenomenon  peculiar  to  Israel; 
Vr  all  the  ancient  nations  had  prophets,  that  is,  men 
who  spoke  in  the  name  of  God,  or  of  supernatural 
powers.  The  prophet  differs  from  the  priest.  The 
latter  is  a  personage  without  special  originality,  the 
guardian  of  an  established  ritual,  the  potency  of  which 
is  not  at  all  dependent  upon  the  personality  of  the 
priest.  The  prophet  is  the  man  possessed  of  God,  and 
through  whom  the  Will  of  God  is  revealed  to  men.  But 
among  the  other  nations,  and  even  in  Israel  in  ancient 
times,  the  prophet,  seer,  diviner,  sorcerer,  vacillates 
between  the  charlatan  and  the  inspired  one.  What  is 
unique  in  Jewish  prophecy  is  that  it  became  the  all- 
powerful  weapon  of  men  so  truly  inspired,  of  souls  so 
truly  enlightened;  the  mind  and  the  conscience  of 
humanity  found  in  their  prophecies  its  first  successful 


134 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

and  lasting  expression.     The  work  of   these  prophets 
survives  in  a  hundred  pages  of  the  Bible  and  in  Three 

ReliSionS-  JAMES  DARMSTETTER. 


is  eternal,  but  her  effluence 
With  endless  change,  is  fitted  to  the  hour 
Her  mirror  is  turned  forward  to  reflect 
The  promise  of  the  future,  not  the  past. 


First  find  thou  truth,  and  then, 
Although  she  strays 

From  beaten  paths  of  men 
To  untold  ways — 

Her  leading  follow  straight — 
And  bide  thy  fate. 


XVII.      £0e  force  of  Ancient 


The  Lord  will  enter  into  judgment  with  the 
ancients  of  His  people  and  the  princes  thereof ;  for  ye 
have  eaten  up  the  vineyards  (of  the  land),  the  spoil  of 
the  poor  is  in  your  houses.  What  mean  ye  that  ye 
beat  my  people  to  pieces,  and  grind  the  faces  of  the 
poor? — Isaiah  Hi.  14,  15. 

Woe  unto  them  that  join  house  to  house,  that  lay 
field  to  field,  till  there  be  no  place,  as  if  they  alone 
were  set  in  the  land  ...  Of  a  truth !  Many  houses 
shall  be  desolate,  even  great  and  fair,  and  without  a 
single  inhabitant. — Isaiah  v.  8,  g. 


the  presence  of  the  iniquities  of  the  world,  the 
heart  of  the  prophets  bled  as  though  from  a  wound 
of   the    Divine    spirit,    and    their    cry   of  indignation 


135 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

re-echoed  the  wrath  of  the  Deity.  Greece  and  Rome 
had  their  rich  and  poor,  just  as  Israel  had  in  the  days 
of  Jeroboam,  and  the  various  classes  continued  to 
slaughter  one  another  for  centuries;  but  no  voice  of 
justice  and  pity  arose  from  the  fierce  tumult.  Nations 
were  born  and  perished,  living  from  day  to  day  at  the 
mercy  of  the  accidents  and  the  appetites  of  the  hour, 
without  comprehending  that  a  nation,  in  order  to  live 
and  to  deserve  to  live,  needs  an  ideal  that  may  deter- 
mine its  destiny.  In  default  of  such,  it  must  perish, 
with  no  reason  for  its  existence,  "its  future  hangs 
before  it  in  tatters."  Therefore  these  ancient  words, 
fierce  and  violent,  have  more  vitality  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  and  answer  better  to  the  needs  of  modern 
souls  than  all  the  classic  masterpieces  of  antiquity, 
Therefore  these  stray  pages,  sent  forth  twenty-six  cen- 
turies ago  among  two  imperfectly  civilized  tribes,  and 
exposed  to  the  vicissitudes  of  national  life,  constitute  a 
production  that  will  live  forever. 

JAMES  DARMSTETTER. 


A\PPRESSION  shall  not  always  reign 
^•^     There  comes  a  brighter  day, 
When  freedom,  burst  from  every  chain, 
Shall  have  triumphant  sway. 

Then  right  shall  over  might  prevail, 
And  truth's  full  armed  array, 

The  hosts  of  tyrant  wrong  assail, 
And  hold  eternal  sway. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XVIII.   £0e  Buffering  T£ifnc06  for  (Bob. 


Thou,  O  God,  hast  proved  us ;  Thou  hast  tried  us, 
as  silver  is  tried.  Thou  broughtest  us  into  a  net  (for 
our  feet).  Thou  laidest  affliction  upon  our  loins. 
Thou  hast  caused  men  to  ride  over  our  heads;  we 
went  through  fire  and  through  water,  but  Thou 
broughtest  us  out  to  liberty. — Psalm  Ixvi.  /o,  12. 


OR  the  sufferings  of  Israel,  transformed  by  triumph- 
ant  prophecy  after  the  exile,  are  no  longer,  as 
at  the  time  of  Jeremiah  and  of  militant  prophecy,  only 
the  expiation  of  her  faults,  the  ignominious  punishment 
for  her  sins ;  they  are  now  conceived  of  as  the  price  of 
salvation  of  the  human  soul.  God  has  placed  his  spirit 
in  Israel,  through  her  to  acquaint  the  nations  with  jus- 
tice. It  is,  therefore,  not  in  vain  that  Israel  suffered, 
that  she  was  despised  and  rejected  of  men,  a  people 
of  sorrows,  acquainted  with  grief.  Sent  by  the  Lord  to 
preach  His  Word,  she  was  not  rebellious,  and  recoiled 
not  from  the  burden  of  sorrow.  She  gave  her  cheek  to 
those  that  struck  her,  her  face  to  those  that  insulted 
her,  and  hid  not  her  countenance,  although  reviled  and 
spat  upon.  As  the  lamb  that  is  led  to  the  slaughter,  as 
the  sheep  that  is  dumb  before  the  shearer,  she  opened 
not  her  mouth,  and  therefore  she  shall  not  die.  Men 
believe  her  stricken  of  God,  whereas  she  was  afflicted  to 
reclaim  them  from  their  sins;  it  was  for  their  salva- 
tion that  she  was  chastised.  And  she  is  growing 
neither  weary  nor  discouraged,  so  that  justice  may  be 

137 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

established  upon  the  earth ;  and  the  far  off  islands  are 
waiting  for  her  instruction.  God  makes  Israel  a  law- 
giver unto  the  nations,  and  peoples  that  know  her  not 
yet,  shall  in  the  future  hasten  to  her.  She  shall  lead 
the  stranger  to  the  holy  mountain;  for  the  House  of 
God  shall  be  called  a  House  of  Prayer  for  all  peoples. 

JAMES  DARMSTETTER. 


XIX. 


Bring  no  more  vain  oblations;  incense  is  an 
abomination  unto  me  ;  your  new  moons  and  sabbaths, 
and  calling  of  assemblies  I  cannot  away  with.  Wash 
you,  make  you  clean,  .  .  .  cease  to  do  evil  ; 
learn  to  do  well  ;  seek  justice  ;  relieve  the  oppressed  ; 
judge  the  fatherless  ;  plead  for  the  widow.  —  Isaiah 
i.  jj,  77. 


is  true  that  the  horizon  of  modern  humanity  is  not 
that  of  the  Seers  of  Ephraim.  Humanity  now  has 
an  additional  torment,  which  troubled  the  ancients  but 
little,  the  scientific  Torment,  which  no  moral  revelation 
can  heal,  and  which  the  prophets  do  not  speak  of.  It 
springs,  not  from  the  heart  of  man,  the  source  of  all  cer- 
tainty, but  from  his  lack  of  heart.  It  comes  down  upon 
him  from  the  stars,  it  ascends  to  him  from  the  depths  of 
the  ages.  The  lights  of  science  are  cold,  like  those  of  a 
polar  sun.  It's  balm  is  a  narcotic  or  a  poison,  and  it 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

will  not  become  wholesome  unless  it  shall  lead  men  by 
way  of  their  moral  instinct,  to  a  realizing  faith  in  God 
as  revealed  in  the  consciousness  of  man. 

Nineteen  centuries  have  passed  since  the  noblest 
spirit  of  Rome,  in  the  face  of  the  vileness  of  the  gods 
and  their  priests,  uttered  the  cry  of  outraged  reason. 
11  Nor  does  piety  consist  in  bowing  oneself  constantly, 
with  veiled  face,  before  a  stone  and  approaching  all 
the  altars,  nor  in  prostrating  oneself  on  the  ground,  and 
stretching  out  open  hands  towards  the  sanctuary,  nor  in 
sprinkling  the  altars  with  the  blood  of  beasts;  but  in 
contemplating  the  Universe  with  a  peaceful  mind  "  And 
eight  centuries  before  Lucretius,  Amos,  the  Hebrew 
shepherd,  proclaims  in  the  name  of  his  God:  "  I  hate 
your  feast  days ;  your  holocausts  I  despise ;  from  your 
offerings  of  fat  beasts  I  turn  away  my  eyes.  Away 
from  me  the  noise  of  your  songs,  that  I  may  not 
hear  the  sound  of  your  lyres!  But  let  righteousness 
gush  forth  as  water,  and  justice  as  a  never-failing 
stream." 

JAMES  DARMSTETTER. 

HE  offerings  to  Thy  throne  which  rise, 

Of  mingled  praise  and  prayer, 
Are  but  a  worthless  sacrifice 
Unless  the  heart  is  there. 

My  offerings  will  indeed  be  blest, 

If  sanctified  by  Thee, 
If  Thy  pure  spirit  touch  my  breast 

With  its  own  purity. 

139 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XX.  ,  £ime  to 


And  now,  O  Israel,  what  doth  the  Lord,  Thy  God 
require  of  thee  ?    .     .    .     . — Deut.  x.  12. 


is  not  good,  either  for  the  individual  man,  or  for  any 
class  of  men,  to  dwqll  with  complacency  upon  their 
merits,  or  upon  any  success  they  have  achieved;  for,  as 
a  rule,  such  gratification  breeds  vanity,  hinders  further 
advancement,  and,  by  over-estimation,  lessens  the  value 
of  our  deserts.  Man's  progress  in  all  good  things  should 
be  continual  and  suffer  no  interruption.  As  soon  as  he 
has  reached  a  step  forward,  he  should  ask  himself  at 
once :  And  now,  what  does  the  Lord,  thy  God,  require 
of  thee?  He  should  bestir  himself  to  use  every 
achievement  as  a  stepping  stone  for  a  still  higher  point 
in  the  line  towards  his  ideals.  But  the  wise  king  has 
told  us,  and  surely  not  in  vain,  that  "  there  is  a  time  to 
keep  silence  and  there  is  a  time  to  speak."  When  our 
character  is  publicly  assailed,  and  our  good  name 
questioned ;  when  we  are  in  danger  of  being  discouraged 
by  the  reflection  that  our  best  endeavors  are,  after  all, 
fruitless — then  there  is  a  time  for  us  to  ask  ourselves: 
Have  we  merited  it?  And,  if  our  conscience  acquits  us, 
this  is  a  time  to  dwell,  with  gratitude  to  God,  upon  the 
bright  side  of  our  past;  a  time  also,  to  speak  and  not 
keep  silence;  albeit,  men  accuse  us  of  pride  and  vain 
glory;  a  time,  I  add,  to  ask  ourselves,  when  our  heart  is 
writhing  under  our  disappointment :  And  what  does  the 
Lord,  thy  God,  require  thee  to  do  under  this  trial  and 
what  fruit  of  godliness  is  it  to  ripen  in  thee? 

ADOLPH  HUEBSCH. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


£XJMPLE  rule  and  safest  guiding, 
^™*     Inward  peace  and  inward  might, 
Star  upon  our  path  abiding — 

"  Trust  in  God  and  do  the  right." 
Some  will  hate  thee,  some  will  love  thee, 

Some  will  flatter,  some  will  slight ; 
Cease  from  man  and  look  above  thee  : 

"  Trust  in  God  and  do  the  right." 


XXI.         £0e  QBfeeeino;  of 


Thou  hast  turned  for  me  my  mourning  into  rejoic- 
ing ;  Thou  hast  put  off  my  sackcloth  and  girded  me 
with  gladness.  —  Psalm  xxx.  n. 


is  the  best  teacher  of  history,  the  most  compe- 
tent expounder  of  prophecies.  We  of  this  century 
are  better  able  to  understand  the  ways  of  God  with 
Israel  in  permitting  the  downfall  of  the  Jewish  State 
and  the  destruction  of  the  National  Sanctuary,  than  were 
those  who  either  witnessed,  or  suffered  from,  the  effects 
of  that  great  catastrophe.  We  now  see  how  God  links 
events  one  to  the  other,  until  His  purpose  is  reached. 
Jewish  religion  began  with  the  announcement  that  the 
descendants  of  Abraham  should  carry  a  certain  blessing 
to  mankind,  and  this  mission  has  never  been  forgotten  in 
Israel.  Viewed  in  that  light,  the  revelation  on  Sinai 
becomes  one  of  the  greatest  facts  in  history;  it  elevates 
the  vicissitudes  of  our  people  far  above  the  level  of  a 
mere  national  record.  The  idea  of  that  mission 
assumed  different  forms  according  to  the  varying  con- 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ditions  of  those  who  cherished  it ;  through  all  of  them 
went  the  sadness  for  the  lost  glory  and  the  hope  of  its 
restoration  in  Palestine;  until  we  have  learned  the 
lesson  that  human  life  must  be  complete  in  itself  and 
cannot  depend  upon  what  is  no  longer  or  is  not  yet. 
We,  too,  are  the  offspring  of  Abraham  and  can  spread, 
and  are  desirous  to  spread  the  blessing  promised  to  our 
first  father,  among  all  men ;  being  well  assured,  that  it 
will  redound  to  the  peace  and  welfare  of  men  and  the 
Glory  of  God.  ADOLPH  HUEBSCH, 

(Abbreviated}. 

/INTERNAL  Ruler  of  the  ceaseless  round 
^"'     Of  circling  planets  singing  on  their  way, 
Guide  of  the  nations  from  the  night  profound 

Into  the  glory  of  the  perfect  day. 
Rule  in  our  hearts,  that  we  may  ever  be 
Guided  and  strengthened  and  upheld  by  Thee. 

¥ 

XXII.     £0c  ^{fenf,  get  (jpofenf  teacher. 

He  that  walketh  with  wise  men  shall  be  wise; 
but  a  companion  of  fools  shall  share  their  lot. — Prov. 
xiii.  20. 

Let  thy  house  be  a  meeting-place  of  wise  men. 
Cover  thyself  with  the  dust  of  their  feet  (/'.  e.,  sit  at 
their  feet  like  pupils)  and  drink  in  their  words  as 
the  thirsty  drink  water. — Ethics  of  the  Fathers. 


T^HERE  are  two  ways  to  win  men  to  the  fear  of  God 
and  the  love  of  virtue.     We  may  enlighten  them 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

with  our  words,  if  we  have  received  the  gift  therefor; 
we  may  trust  to  the  power  of  public  preaching  as 
did  those  renowned  preachers  whose  words  went  forth 
and  penetrated  to  the  farthest  ends  of  the  earth.  Or, 
we  may  enlighten  men  with  our  example  and  instruct 
them  with  our  conduct  and  bearing,  sometimes  even  in 
spite  of  themselves.  It  was  therefore,  as  we  read  in 
Holy  Writ,  that  Joshua  never  left  Moses,  his  Master, 
and  that  Elisha  ministered  unto  Elijah,  the  prophet, 
until  the  hour  of  his  death.  Now,  the  Talmud  main- 
tains that  one  derives  more  benefit  from  intercourse 
with  wise  men  than  from  their  direct  teaching  by  word 
of  mouth;  that  is  to  say,  when  life  and  teaching  of  the 
master  are  in  full  agreement,  when  the  one  is  the  liv- 
ing commentary  on  the  other.  To  those  who  do  not 
so  impress  their  words  on  their  hearers,  we  apply  the 
reproach,  also  given  in  the  Talmud:  "  Would  that  thy 
deeds  were  as  beautiful  as  thy  words;  it  were  better 
thou  hadst  never  opened  thy  mouth ;  for  no  eloquence 
can  repair  the  evil^  which  the  beauty  of  thy  words  has 
wrought."  ISAAC  ARAMA, 

( XV.  Century). 

AT  people  hear, 

Oft  only  goes 
From  lip  to  ear, 
And  then  it  flows 
Into  the  air 
To  vanish  there; 
What  people  see 
Is  stamped  on  mind, 
And  sure  to  find 
A  voice  to  plead 
In  time  of  need. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXIII.  ^ttnng  Our 


He  that  keepeth  the  Commandments,  keepeth  his 
own  soul — Prov.  xix.  16. 

Thorns  and  snares  are  in  the  way  of  the  froward  ; 
he  that  guardeth  his  soul  shall  be  far  from  them. — 
Prov.  xxii.j;. 


AEEK  thou  the  company  of  the  wise,  and  the  friend- 
ship of  them  whose  hearts  are  filled  with  the 
reverence  of  God's  Law;  and  flee  far  from  those  who 
obey  Him  from  vainglory.  Avoid  thou  the  doers  of 
evil,  even  though  good  works  might  be  done  with  their 
aid.  For,  without  aware  they  shall  steal  from  thee  the 
piety  of  thy  mind,  and  they  shall  spoil  thee  ere  that 
thou  knowest  it. 

Let  thy  dearest  rest  be  in  thine  own  home,  for  there 
art  thou  safe  from  strife  and  destruction. 

When  thou  enterest  the  House  of  God,  sit  thyself 
down  in  the  place  of  the  poor. 

Visit  the  sick,  not  less  those  that  are  stricken  with 
poverty  than  those  that  are  rich  in  the  goods  of  the 
world.  Let  the  sympathy  that  thou  shewest,  and  the 
help  that  thou  bringest,  be  the  sole  purpose  of  thy  visit. 

Honor  the  dead,  and  go  with  them  on  their  last 
earthly  journey.  Visit  them  that  mourn,  and  comfort 
them.  Mark  well  their  pain;  for  there  seest  thou  the 
fate  of  all  men.  Take  thou  this  to  heart,  and  prepare 
thyself  early  in  life. 

And  when  those  of  other  faiths  seek  to  lead  thee 
astray  from  that  of  thy  fathers,  then  leave  thou  thy 


144 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

country  and  thy  home,  and  go  where  thou  canst  live 
unmolested.  Shew  thy  manhood  and  thy  strength,  and 
regret  not  the  possessions  that  thou  leavest  behind; 
they  are  dross  in  the  face  of  the  integrity  of  thy  soul. 

SOLOMON  ALAMI, 

(XV.  Century). 
[RANT  me  the  power,  the  right  to  see 
To  love  the  good  who  follow  thee ; 
And  in  that  love,  O,  grant  the  love 
Of  all  on  earth,  of  God  above. 


XXIV. 


.  .  .  The  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord,  thy 
God  :  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor 
thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man-servant,  nor  thy 
maid-servant,  nor  thine  ox,  nor  thine  ass,  nor  any  of 
thy  cattle,  nor  the  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates.  — 
Deut.  v.  14. 

The  righteous  man  considereth  the   soul    of  his 
cattle.  —  Prov.  xii.  10, 


Talmud  tells  the  following:  A  calf  that  was 
about  to  be  slaughtered,  fled  to  Rabbi  Yehudah, 
the  Prince,  and  hid  its  head  in  his  garment.  But  he  re- 
pulsed it,  crying:  "  Go  hence!  for  this  hast  thou  been 
created!"  For  many  years  thereafter  heavy  troubles  af- 
flicted the  Prince.  It  happened  one  day  that  he  saw  the 
serving  maid  about  to  destroy  the  young  of  a  cat.  "  Do 
it  not,"  he  cried,  "for  it  is  said:  God's  mercy  is  ex- 

M5 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

tended  over  all  His  creatures."     And  from  this  time 
on  his  burdens  grew  lighter,  and  finally  ceased. 

Noxious  animals  may  be  killed;  but  must  not  suffer 
unnecessary  pain.  The  same  holds  good  of  beasts  re- 
quired for  nourishment,  or  for  the  healing  of  the  sick.  We 
are  not  bidden  to  save  the  calf  that  ministers  to  our  sus- 
tenance. The  evils  that  came  upon  the  Rabbi  were  not 
punishments,  but  trials,  such  as  God  sends  to  the  great- 
est and  the  best,  so  that  others  may  take  example  from 
their  conduct.  For  God  demands  accounting  more 
strictly  of  those  that  are  favored  mentally,  than  He 
does  of  ordinary  persons;  a  hair's  breadth  straying  from 
the  straight  path  is  heavy  sin  in  them.  Rabbi  Yehu- 
dah,  the  Prince,  should  not  have  used  the  words:  "  For 
this  hast  thou  been  created;"  and  he  should  have  per- 
mitted the  animal  to  find  refuge,  for  a  time  at  least,  with 
him.  For  the  contrary  behavior  in  this  great  man  and 
teacher  has  surely  hardened  the  heart  of  many  a  one 
towards  animals;  nor  was  he  justified  in  saying  that  the 
calf  had  only  been  created  to  be  killed.  And  I  would 
believe  that  every  living  being,  even  that  which  may  be 
slaughtered,  will  be  recompensed  by  the  Creator  for  the 
agonies  that  it  has  endured.  For  it  is  opposed  to  justice 
to  believe,  what  the  words  of  the  great  Rabbi  implied, 
that  wrong  should  be  done  to  any  being,  be  it  man  or 
animal.  RABBI  ACHAI, 

(VIII.  Century). 

;LESSED  is  the  man  whose  softening  heart 

Feels  all  another's  pain ; 
To  whom  the  supplicating  eye 
Was  never  raised  in  vain. 

146 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 


XXV.  Jfytrifuaf  (nurture. 


Come,   children,  hearken   unto  me  ;  I  will  teach 
you  the  fear  of  God. — Psalms  xxxiv.  u. 


MY  beloved,  be  ye  wise  in  that  fear  only;  and  you 
will  prove  that  you  have  gained  that  wisdom,  if 
you  forsake  it  not  when  men  scorn  you  for  it.  Set 
apart  a  fixed  time  of  each  day  for  the  study  of  God's 
Word,  and  try  also  to  teach  it  to  others ;  for  thereby  the 
Law  will  be  the  more  firmly  rooted  in  your  own  mem- 
ory. Do  not  imagine  you  stand  in  no  need  of  either 
such  constant  learning  or  teaching,  on  the  plea  that  you 
have,  as  it  were,  inherited  much  learning  from  your 
father,  and  through  him,  from  your  forefathers ;  on  the 
contrary,  you  are  only  the  more  culpable  if  you  give  up 
the  constant  study  of  God's  teachings.  I  counsel  you 
also,  to  exhort  one  another  by  turns  from  the  texts  of 
Midrash  (the  homilies  of  the  early  Masters),  for  by  this 
practice  you  will  free  yourself  from  many  a  fault,  and 
break  the  power  of  many  a  besetting  sin,  which  you 
cannot  otherwise  overcome.  Make  it  likewise  your  cus- 
tom to  read  often  in  such  books,  as  "  The  Duties  of  the 
heart,"  the  "Book  of  Righteousness,"  "Call  to  Repent- 
ance; "  take  their  instructions  to  heart,  and  live  in  ac- 
cordance with  them.  Beware !  O  beware !  lest  you  be 
numbered  with  any  one  of  the  four  classes  of  people,  of 
whom  our  Sages  affirm  that  they  never  can  appear  be- 
fore the  face  of  God:  liars,  mockers,  gamblers,  slan- 
derers.— From  the  Testament  of  Jehudah  ben  Asher, 

(XIV.  Century). 

'47 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXVI.          £0e  ©reafc  of 


Wrath  is  cruel  and  anger  is  outrageous,  but  who  is 
able  to  stand  before  envy  ? — Prov.  xxvii.  4- 


the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Moses:  Get 
thee  up  unto  the  mountain;  for  there  thou  shalt 
die;  henceforth  Joshua  shall  lead  My  people,  Moses 
prayed:  O,  let  me  live  and  be  servant  to  Joshua,  and 
go  over  Jordan  with  him  ?  And  the  Lord  answered : 
Be  it  unto  thee  according  to  thy  prayer. 

Then  the  two  men  went  to  the  tabernacle,  and  the 
cloud  descended  and  separated  one  from  the  other. 
When  it  rose  again,  Moses  said:  "Joshua,  my  master, 
what  word  was  revealed  unto  thee  ? "  And  Joshua 
said:  "Didst  thou  not  hear  it?  How  strange;  for 
whenever  I  was  at  thy  side,  I  always  did  hear  the  voice 
of  God  and  understood  His  bidding." 

Moses  bent  his  head;  shame  covered  his  face;  and 
the  spirit  of  envy  whispered  to  him  thoughts  of  evil ! 
But  for  a  moment  only.  For  he  fell  on  his  face  and 
cried :  O  Lord,  a  hundred  deaths  rather  than  One  sting 
of  envy. 

And  Moses  went  up  and  entered  a  cave,  and  laid 
himself  down  on  the  rocky  floor,  and  the  Almighty 
came,  and,  with  a  kiss,  freed  the  pure  soul  of  the 
prophet  from  its  earthly  bonds,  and  lifted  it  into  His 
presence  where  there  is  fulness  of  joy  for  evermore. 

G.  G., 
(After  the  Midrash). 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

BLESSED  life !  heart,  mind  and  soul 
From  self-born  aims  and  wishes  free, 
In  all  at  one  with  Deity 
And  loyal  to  the  Lord's  control. 

O  life,  how  blessed !  how  divine  ! 

High  life,  the  earnest  of  a  higher  ! 
Father  !  fulfill  my  deep  desire 

And  let  this  blessed  life  be  mine. 


xxvii. 


Take  heed  to  yourselves,  and  bear  no  burden  on 
the  Sabbath  day,  nor  bring  it  in  by  the  gates  of  Jerusa- 
lem ;  neither  carry  forth  a  burden  out  of  your  houses 
on  the  Sabbath  day,  neither  do  ye  any  work,  but 
hallow  ye  the  Sabbath  day,  as  I  have  commanded  ye. 
—  -Jeremiah  xvii.  2i>  22. 


the  ancient  polytheists,  nothing  seemed  so  joyless 
as  the  austerity  of  a  Jewish  Sabbath.  It  was  a 
strange  abandonment  of  all  the  vocations  of  life.  They 
saw  the  fields  of  the  Hebrew  forsaken  by  the  laborer; 
the  ass  unsaddled;  the  oar  laid  by  in  the  boat;  they 
marked  a  dead  stillness  pervading  the  habitation  of  the 
Israelite;  the  fire  extinguished,  the  meat  unprepared; 
the  man  servant  and  the  maiden  leave  their  work,  and 
the  trafficker,  at  least  one  day  in  the  week,  refusing  the 
offered  coin.  .  .  .  The  interior  delights  of  the  habita- 
tion of  the  Hebrew  were  invisible  alike  to  the  poly- 
theist  and  the  Christian  fathers.  They  heard  not  the 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

domestic  greetings  which  cheerfully  announced  "  the 
good  Sabbath,"  nor  the  paternal  benediction  for  the 
sons,  nor  the  blessing  of  the  aged  master  for  his  pupils. 
They  could  not  behold  the  mistress  of  the  house  watch- 
ing the  sunset  and  then  lighting  the  seven  wicks  of  the 
lamp  of  the  Sabbath  suspended  during  its  consecration ; 
for  oil  to  fill  the  Sabbath  lamp  the  mendicant  implored 
an  alms.  .  .  .  Thus,  in  the  busy  circle  of  life,  was  there 
one  immovable  point  where  the  weary  rested  and  the 
wealthy  enjoyed  a  heavenly  repose. 

ISAAC  DISRAELI. 

AIRING  fruits  and  wine  and  sing  a  gladsome  lay, 

>O^     Cry :  "  Come  in  peace,  O  restful  Seventh  Day." 

Greet  we  the  Sabbath  at  our  door, 

Wellspring  of  blessing  evermore, 

With  everlasting  gladness  fraught, 

Of  old  ordained,  divinely  taught, 

Last  in  creation,  first  in  thought. 


xxvii. 


Hear  ye  the  word  which  the  Lord  speaketh  unto 
you,  O  house  of  Israel  :  Learn  not  the  way  of  the 
heathen  and  be  not  dismayed  at  the  signs  of  the 
heavens  because  the  heathen  are  dismayed  at  them. 
—  Jer.  x.  /.  2. 


is   a  whole  class  of  ordinances  in  the  Law 
doubtless  tending  to  save  man  from  the  errors  of 
idolatry  and  the  evil  practices  connected  with  it ;  e.  g., 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

observing  the  times,  enchantment,  witchcraft,  incan- 
tation, consulting  with  familiar  spirits,  and  the  like. 
.  .  .  Those  who  teach  and  practice  these  things 
caused  others  to  believe,  or  they  themselves  believed, 
that  by  means  of  those  arts  they  would  perform  won- 
derful things  on  behalf  of  individuals  or  whole  nations, 
although  no  analogy  and  no  reasoning  can  discover  any 
relation  between  those  performances  and  the  promised 
results.  .  .  .  Our  Law  would  make  us  abandon  this 
evil  belief  and  keep  at  the  greatest  possible  distance 
from  it. 


MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 


ROM  sin's  dread  power  I  fain  would  fly 
And  to  my  Lord  betake  me ; 

When  I  for  help  and  counsel  cry 
Thou,  God,  wilt  not  forsake  me. 

Thy  gracious  spirit  Thou  wilt  send, 

My  stubborn  heart  tow'rd  Thee  to  bend, 
And  wholly  Thine  to  make  me. 


XXIX.      C#o0en  <mb  get 


Cry  aloud,  spare  not,  lift  up  thy  voice  like  a 
trumpet  and  show  my  people  their  transgression  and 
the  house  of  Jacob  their  sins. — Isaiah  Iviii.  i. 

The  sin  of  Judah  is  written  with  a  pen  of  iron  and 
with  a  point  of  diamond;  it  is  engraven  upon  the 
tables  of  their  heart  and  the  horns  of  their  altar. — 
Jeremiah,  xvii.  i. 


T  should  not  be  necessary  to  tell  thoughtful  people 
that  when  the  Jews  continue,  even  at  this  time,  to 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

cling  to  the  old  designation,  God's  Chosen  Race,  they 
forget  that  their  forefathers  were  also  stigmatized  as  a 
"  Sin-laden  People,"  "  Offspring  of  Evil-doers,"  and  with 
similar  invectives ;  or,  that  they  believe  that  every  Jew 
was  chosen  for  his  own  deserts.  Was  every  Greek  or 
every  Roman  of  ancient  days  worthy  of  the  honor  in 
which  his  nation  is  still  held  ?  Emerson's  pointed 
question  might  be  remembered  with  profit:  Here  is 
Christianity,  but  where  are  the  Christians?  The  English 
people  are  justly  famed  for  their  inborn  respect  for 
"  The  Majesty  of  the  Law;  "  but  who  fills  their  jails  and 
keeps  their  criminal  courts  busy?  Their  penal  code  was 
within  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  one  of 
the  most  barbarous;  it  still  counted  over  eighty 
crimes  punishable  with  death.  The  character  of  a 
people  is  like  the  property,  the  coins,  the  debts  of  a 
State  :  belonging  to  all  and  yet  to  no  one  individually. 
And  is  there  any  other  race  whose  sins  have  been 
driven  home  so  unsparingly,  have  been  proclaimed 
in  such  trumpet  sounds,  as  those  of  Judah  and  Israel? 
Yet  the  people  bent  their  heads  under  the  chasten- 
ing rod  and,  so  far  from  trying  to  hide  their  shame, 
they  themselves  placed  the  seal  of  Divine  Authority 
upon  the  book  in  which  their  chastisements  are  written ; 
they  themselves,  and  no  one  with  them,  saved  their 
indictment  from  destruction,  aye,  and  carried  it  with 
them  to  every  part  of  the  earth,  whither  the  will  of 
God  or  the  tyranny  of  men  had  driven  them. 

G.  G. 
153 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

3N  whatsoe'er  my  people  sinned,  I'll  share 
Most  willingly  the  burden  that  they  bear 
And  raise  my  arms  in  prayer  to  none  but  Thee 
Who  else  would  be  so  merciful  to  me  ? 


XXX.  tfc  Comforter 


Comfort  ye,  comfort  ye  my  people,  saith  your  God. 
Speak  ye  comfortably  to  Jerusalem  and  cry  unto  her, 
that  her  warfare  is  accomplished,  that  her  iniquity  is 
pardoned :  for  she  hath  received  of  the  Lord's  hand 
double  for  all  her  sins. — Isaiah  xl.  /,  2. 


saith  the  Lord:  In  an  acceptable  time  have  I 
heard  thee,  and  in  a  day  of  salvation  have  I  helped 
thee  ;  I  will  preserve  thee  and  give  thee  for  a  covenant 
of  the  people,  to  establish  the  earth,  and  cause  to  inherit 
the  desolate  heritages.  Sing,  O  heavens,  and  be  joyful, 
O  earth;  and  break  forth  into  singing,  O  mountains:  for 
the  Lord  hath  comforted  His  people  and  will  have 
mercy  upon  the  afflicted.  But  Zion  said:  The  Lord 
hath  forsaken  me,  and  my  Lord  hath  forgotten  me. 
Can  a  woman  forget  her  sucking  child  that  she  shall 
not  have  compassion  on  her  son?  Yea,  even  if  she 
may  forget,  yet  will  I  not  forget  thee.  —  Isaiah  xlix.  8, 
9,  f3,  15- 

When  the  Lord  turned  again  the  captivity  of  Zion, 
we  were  like  them  that  dream.     Then  was  our  mouth 


'53 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

filled  with  laughter  and  our  tongue  with  singing ;  then 
said  they  among  the  heathen :  the  Lord  hath  done  great 
things  for  them.  .  .  .  They  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap 
in  joy.  He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing 
precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoic- 
ing, bringing  his  sheaves  with  him. — Psalm  cxxvi. 

CHILDREN  of  the  martyr-race, 
^^     Whether  free  or  fettered, 
Wake  the  echoes  of  your  songs, 
Where  ye  may  be  scattered. 
Yours  the  message  cheering 
That  the  time  is  nearing 
Which  shall  see 
All  men  free, 
Tyrants  disappearing. 


O  Thou,  who  heareth  prayer,  unto  Thee  shall  all 
flesh  come. — Psalm  Ixv.  2. 

The  righteous  of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall 
share  the  bliss  of  the  world  to  come. —  The  Pharisees. 

On  hearing  men  speak  of  the  virtues  of  mankind, 
approve,  follow  and  rejoice  therein. — Chinese. 


155 


I.  £$e  QRincjbom  of 


All  the  ends  of  the  world  shall  remember  and 
turn  to  the  Lord :  and  all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations 
shall  worship  Thee. — Psalm  xxii.  2j. 


is  a  kingdom  which  denieth  access  to  none 
who  would  enter  it;  no  wanderer  hath  ever  been 
turned  away  from  its  borders ;  all  men  are  free  to  estab- 
lish themselves  within  its  limits  and  to  appropriate  of 
its  land  as  much  as  they  desire. 

Know  ye  the  kingdom?  Never  has  it  bowed  to  armed 
power;  in  it  high  and  low  are  measured  by  standards 
different  from  those  in  all  other  countries.  No  trai- 
tors are  found  there,  unless  it  be  those  who  commit 
treachery  against  themselves. 

Oh,  say!  know  ye  this  kingdom?  It  is  the  kingdom 
of  God.  Whosoever  sets  out  to  find  its  borders  loses 
not  his  way,  and  meets  a  loving  welcome  there.  He 
may  extend  his  possessions,  and  introduce  friend  or 
foe;  and  none  shall  hinder  or  disturb  him.  If,  how- 
ever^ we  do  not  choose  to  become  citizens  of  that  king- 
dom, we  shall  in  no  wise  be  coerced  to  do  so.  If  we 
do  not  seek  its  gates  of  our  own  accord,  we  shall  not  be 
carried  thither;  no  messenger  will  come  to  rouse  us,  if 
we  prefer  to  lie  dreaming  upon  the  ground,  content  to 
sleep  away  our  span  of  life.  If  we  are  not  willing  to 

157 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

till  the  soil  and  build  us  dwellings,  no  stranger  hands 
will  do  this  for  us;  neither  are  altars  and  temples  reared 
there  at  command,  only  the  love  of  God  and  man  can 
cause  them  to  spring  up.  Unworthy  motives,  petty 
aims,  vainglory,  thirst  for  power,  selfishness,  indiffer- 
ence to  the  fate  of  fellowmen  have  no  room  in  that  fair 
realm ;  for  these  things  the  soil  has  no  nourishment,  the 
climate  no  life-giving  warmth,  the  heavens  no  dew  or 
rain.  Those  who  yield  and  persist  in  those  ignoble 
impulses  are  at  last  cast  out,  and  go  away  more  wretched 
than  they  came. 

O  blessed  kingdom  of  our  God,  when  wilt  thou 
extend  over  all  the  races  of  men  on  earth  ?  When  will 
thy  banner  be  raised  over  happy  and  contented  man- 
kind ? 

LEOPOLD  ZUNZ. 

will  extol  the  Lord  of  Lords  whose  name 

Is  evermore  and  everywhere  adored, 
In  songs  and  hymns  our  lips  His  praise  shall  frame, 
We  will  extol  the  Lord,  the  Lord  of  all. 

¥ 

n.  QtU06iamc  (prdger. 

Who  should  not  fear  Thee,  O  King  of  nations  ? 
for  to  Thee  does  it  appertain  :  for  as  much  as  among 
all  the  wise  men  of  the  nations,  and  in  all  their 
kingdoms  there  is  none  like  Thee. — Jeremiah  x.  7. 


(Wl 


AY  Thy  presence  be  manifest  to  us  in  all  Thy  works, 
and  reverence  of  Thee  fill  the  hearts  of  all  the 


158 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

children  of  man ;  may  they  bow  before  Thee  in  humility, 
and  uniting  to  do  Thy  will,  acknowledge  that  Thine  is 
the  kingdom,  the  power  and  the  majesty,  and  that  Thou 
art  exalted  above  all.  Grant  hope  to  them  that  seek 
Thee;  inspire  with  courage  them  that  wait  for  Thee; 
be  nigh  unto  all  that  put  their  trust  in  Thee.  ...  . 
Then  shall  the  just  rejoice  and  the  righteous  be  glad  and 
iniquity  be  silenced  and  the  world  acknowledge  Thee 
alone  as  God  and  Ruler  in  heaven  and  on  earth.  May 
Thy  kingdom  come  speedily  and  unite  all  men  in  the 
bonds  of  brotherhood  and  peace ;  so  that  every  creature 
may  know  that  Thou  hast  created  it  and  every  living 
being  say:  The  Eternal  ruleth  and  His  dominion 
endureth  for  ever. 

ANCIENT  JEWISH  LITURGY. 


ORD  !  who  art  merciful  as  well  as  just, 

Incline  Thine  ear  to  me,  a  child  of  dust ! 
Not  what  I  would,  O  Lord,  I  offer  Thee, 

Alas !  but  what  I  can. 
Father  Almighty,  who  hast  made  me  man, 
And  bade  me  look  to  heaven,  for  Thou  art  there, 

Accept  my  sacrifice  and  humble  prayer. 
Four  things  which  are  not  in  Thy  treasury, 
I  lay  before  Thee,  Lord,  with  this  petition  : 
My  nothingness,  my  wants, 
My  sins  and  my  contrition. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


ill.  £0e  (potm  of  £ot>c. 


And  Ruth  (the  Moabitish  woman)  said  to  Naomi 
(the  Israel itish) :  Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee  or  to 
return  from  following  thee  :  for  whither  thou  goest  I 
will  go,  where  thou  lodgest  I  will  lodge  :  thy  people 
shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God  my  God — Ruth 
i.  16. 


is  more,  far  more,  than  a  touch  of  nature  that 
makes  a  world  akin ;  it  is  a  complete  triumph  of 
the  human  heart  over  the  divisions  of  race,  nation  and 
religion,  divisions  marked  often  in  darkest  lines  and 
maintained  in  bitterest  hatred.  By  the  breath  of  love 
they  were  wiped  away ;  soul  clung  to  soul,  and  heart 
to  heart.  This  gospel  of  humanity  was  proclaimed  by 
a  woman,  whose  name  the  nation  of  her  adoption  has 
enshrined  in  its  sacred  records  and  honored  by  giving 
her  a  place  in  the  pedigree  of  David,  and  through  him, 
in  that  of  Messiah. 

G.  G. 


The  narrow-minded  ask:  Is  this  one  of  our  tribe,  or 
is  he  a  stranger  ?  But  to  those  who  are  of  a  noble 
mind  the  whole  world  is  but  one  family. 

Is  there  any  bolt  that  can  shut  in  love?  A  tear  will 
publish  it. 

HINDU. 

160 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


IV.  £0c  J&urefg  of  (peace. 


Pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem  :  they  shalt  prosper 
that  love  thee ;  peace  be  within  thy  walls,  prosperity 
within  thy  palaces.  For  my  brethren  and  companion's 
sake  I  will  now  say :  Peace  be  within  thy  walls. — 
Psalm  cxxii.  6,  7. 


surety  for  the  peace  which  the  Psalmist  praises, 
is:  love,  good  will,  and  friendship;  and  these  are 
demanded  by  the  singer.  Therefore  the  departing 
priests  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  were  wont  to  bless 
their  successors  with  the  words:  May  He  whose  holy 
Name  is  called  over  this  house  grant  in  your  midst  love, 
brotherhood,  peace  and  friendship.  Rabbi  Eleazar 
closed  his  daily  prayer  for  peace  with  the  words:  May 
the  God  of  our  Fathers  cause  peace,  brotherhood,  and 
unity  to  dwell  amongst  us  at  all  times.  Such  peace 
gives  us  strength  and  blessing;  and  it  may  be  compared 
to  a  palace  resting  on  ships;  so  long  as  these  remain 
chained  to  one  another,  the  building  is  secure,  but  if 
they  are  separated,  the  house  falls  asunder.  Then  only 
does  God  abide  in  our  midst,  when  the  feeling  of 
unity  binds  together  the  heads  and  the  members  of  the 
congregation  and  the  people.  Only  then  can  the  hour 
of  deliverance  approach ;  then  only  can  Israel  fulfill  its 
mission;  then  only  can  the  Name  of  God  be  glorified 
and  reverenced,  and  He  be  acknowledged  as  the  Ruler 

of  the  world. 

JEHUDAH  MUSCATO, 

(XVI.  Century.) 

161 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

All  Scriptural  blessings  end  with  peace.  Where  that 
is  wanting,  there  is  no  true  blessing.  "  Seek  peace  and 
pursue  it"  says  the  Psalmist;  he  means:  Seek  it  in 
thine  own  place  and  pursue  it  in  other  places. 

THE  PHARISEES. 

¥ 


v-  £0e  (ptffor  of  (Brafifube. 


What  could  have  been  clone  more  to  my  vineyard, 
that  I  have  not  done  in  it  ?  wherefore,  when  I  looked 
that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes,  brought  it  forth  wild 
grapes  ?  For  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  of 

hosts  is  the  house  of  Israel  and  the  men  of  Judah 
His  pleasant  plant  ;  and  he  looked  for  justice  and 
behold,  oppression  ;  for  right,  and  behold,  outcry.  — 
Isaiah  v.  4,  7. 


F  gratitude  vanished  from  the  earth  there  would  dis- 
appear  with  it  one  of  the  foundation  pillars  of 
Humanity.  In  the  exercise  of  love  God  created  the 
earth.  Does  He  demand  no  return  for  the  mercies  that 
He  bestows  on  us?  Which  of  us  did  the  Perfect  One 
need,  who  suffices  for  Himself?  He  requires  gratitude 
from  us,  so  that  we  may  be  aware  of  the  lofty  worth 
of  our  existence.  The  Psalmist  calls  on  all  created 
things,  even  the  inanimate  ones,  to  praise  the  Lord 
(Psalm  148).  Mankind  can  never  spare  that  grateful 
spirit  from  which  the  feeling  of  duty  springs ;  and  on 
making  return  for  that  which  one  man  receives  from 
another,  depends  the  continuance  of  human  society.  For 
the  main  advantage  of  society  is  that  all  members 

162 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

receive  benefits  at  the  same  time,  and  share  them  with 
one  another.  As  the  life  of  the  human  body  is  depend- 
ent on  constant  nutritive  changes,  so  also  is  the  life  of 
humanity.  Selfishness  pushed  to  its  extreme  causes 
the  death  of  both.  When  we  accept  services  without  re- 
turning them,  we  embitter,  by  our  ingratitude,  hearts 
that  are  disposed  to  serve  us.  Hence  is  the  Talmud 
right  in  saying:  "  The  rain,  which  fructifies  all  things, 
falls  only  on  account  of  the  righteous,  that  is,  the 
thankful;  for  they  alone  maintain  human  society."  As 
our  teacher  Simon,  the  Just,  has  expressly  declared: 
"  All  works  of  love  are  only  acknowledgments  of  the 
love  that  we  receive  from  God.  ISAAC  ARAMA. 

The   wise   will    remember    through   a    sevenfold 
birth  the  hand  that  wiped  away  a  tear. 

CHOUGH  the  benefit  be  small. 
^'     Smaller  than  a  millet-seed, 
They  to  whom  was  done  the  deed, 
See  it  as  a  palm  tree  tall.  —  Hindu. 


VI.  £0e  fruiffuf  tree. 

The  fruit  of  the  righteous  is  a  tree  of  life  ;  and  he 
that  winneth  souls  is  wise.  —  Prov.  xi.  30. 

That  they  might  be  called  trees  of  righteousness, 
the  planting  of  the  Lord,  that  He  may  be  glorified.  — 
Isaiah  Ixi,  j. 


N  the  Talmud  likewise  the  righteous  man  is  likened 
to  a  fruitful  tree ;  his  piety  is  like  the  cool  shade  of 


163 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

its  leafy  branches;  and  in  it  mankind  can  find  protec- 
tion in  troublous  times.  And  the  tree  that  bears  but 
leaves,  and  rustles  loudly  in  the  wind,  is  like  the  noisy 
boaster;  whilst  the  heavy  and  muffled  tones  of  the 
laden  fruit  tree  are  the  symbols  of  the  life  of  the  pious 
man,  quiet  and  rich  in  good  deeds.  Once  the  fruit- 
bearing  trees  were  asked :  Why  do  ye  not  rustle  loudly 
like  the  others  ?  And  they  answered :  We  need  not 
proclaim  our  presence;  we  are  sought  after  for  our 
fruits.  .  .  .  And  Rabbi  Hunah  gives  another  answer: 
The  fruit  trees  cannot  rustle  because  their  fruit  is  heavy 
and  bends  their  branches  earthwards;  whilst  the  other 
trees  can  rustle,  for  they  are  not  weighed  down  with 
fruit. 

Also  the  tree  of  mighty  roots,  that  stands  upright 
before  all  the  storms,  is  used  to  symbolize  the  pious 
man ;  whilst  the  scoffer  is  likened  to  the  tree  whose  roots 
are  few  and  thin,  and  which  the  first  storm  of  winter 
lays  low. 

Long  was  the  question  argued  in  the  academy  of  the 
Pharisees;  whether  of  the  two  was  of  greater  value, 
the  study  of  the  law  or  the  doing  of  good  works.  At 
length  it  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  study  of  the  law ; 
inasmuch  as  this,  if  pursued  in  the  right  spirit,  cannot 
fail  to  lead  to  good  works,  and  has  its  own  merit 
besides. 

AUGUST  WUENSCHE. 
164 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

VII. 


Lift  up  your  eyes  on  high  and  behold,  who  hath 
created  these  things,  that  bringeth  out  their  host  by 
number ;  He  calleth  them  all  by  names ;  by  the  great- 
ness of  His  might,  for  that  He  is  strong  in  power,  not 
one  faileth.  Why,  then,  sayest  thou,  O  Jacob,  and 
speakest,  O  Israel :  my  way  is  hid  from  the  Lord  and 
my  judgment  is  passed  over  from  my  God  ? — Isaiah 
xl.  26,  2j. 


then  sees  and  sustains  us  little  mortals  made 
of  dust?  Thou,  all-gracious  One,  Thou  infinite 
One,  Thou,  O  God,  formest  us.  Thou  seest  us,  thou 
lovest  us.  O  brother,  raise  thy  spirit  and  grasp  the 
greatest  thought  of  man.  There  where  eternity  is — 
there  where  immensity  is,  and  where  right  begins — 
there  an  Infinite  Spirit  spreads  out  its  arms  and  folds 
them  around  the  universe  of  worlds,  and  bears  it  and 
warms  it.  I  and  thou,  and  all  men,  and  all  angels,  and 
all  worms  rest  on  His  bosom.  He  sees  away  through 
the  ocean  wherein  coral-trees  full  of  earths  sway  to  and 
fro,  and  sees  the  little  worm  that  cleaves  to  the  small- 
est coral — which  worm  is  I — and  He  gives  the  worm 
the  nearest  drop,  and  a  blissful  heart,  and  a  future,  and 
an  eye  to  look  up  even  to  Himself — yea,  O  God,  even 
up  to  Thee,  even  to  Thy  heart. 


So  long  as  the  word  "God"  endures  in  a  language 
will  it  direct  the  eyes  of  men  upwards.     It  is  with  the 


165 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Eternal  as  with  the  sun;  if  but  its  smallest  part  can 
shine  uneclipsed,  it  prolongs  the  day  and  gives  its 
rounder  image  in  the  dark  chamber. 

JEAN  PAUL  F.   RICHTER. 

'\VjHERE'ER  ascends  the  sacrifice 

^^     Of  fervent  praise  and  prayer, 
Or  on  the  earth,  or  in  the  skies, 

The  heaven  of  God  is  there. 
His  presence  e'er  is  spread  abroad 

Through  realms,  through  worlds  unknown, 
Who  seek  the  mercies  of  our  God 

Are  ever  near  His  throne. 


VIII.          £0e  QSrofflerfcob  of 


One  ordinance  shall  be  both  for  you  of  the  congre- 
gation and  also  for  the  stranger  that  sojourneth  with 
you,  an  ordinance  forever  in  your  generations  ;  as  ye 
are,  so  shall  the  stranger  be  before  the  Lord.  One 
Law  and  one  manner  shall  be  for  you,  and  for  the 
stranger  that  sojourneth  with  you.  —  Numbers  xv.  75, 
16. 


are  by  nature  predisposed  to  love  mankind. 
Take  away  love  and  benevolence,  and  you  take 
away  all  the  joy  of  life.  Men  are  born  for  the  sake  of 
men,  that  they  may  mutually  benefit  one  another. 

When  man  shall  have  learned  to  look  upon  himself  as 
a  citizen  of  the  universe,  considered  as  One  Common- 
wealth— to  what  a  knowledge  of  himself  will  he  attain ! 

CICERO. 

166 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

To  love  and  serve  all  men  is  to  delight  in  God. 

MENCIUS. 

Give  bread  to  a  stranger  in  the  name  of  the  universal 
brotherhood  which  binds  all  men  together  under  the 
common  Father  of  nature.  QUINTILLIAN. 

God,  who  creates  and  inspires  men,  willed  that  they 
should  be  equal.  He  made  them  all  capable  of  wisdom ; 
he  imposed  the  same  laws  upon  all;  and  He  has 
promised  immortality  to  all.  As  He  furnishes  food  for 
all  and  gives  the  sweet  repose  of  sleep  to  all,  so  doth 
He  give  capacity  for  virtue  to  all.  With  Him  no  one  is 
slave  and  no  one  is  master.  LACTANTIUS. 

And  a  great  multitude  had  gathered  around  the 
Rabbi,  and  one  of  the  disciples  asked  him,  Tell  us,  O 
master,  why  Deborah,  a  woman,  was  chosen  to  be 
prophet  and  judge  in  Israel,  and  not  the  High  Priest 
Eleazar?  Then  the  Rabbi  lifted  up  his  voice  and 
said :  Verily,  I  call  heaven  and  earth  to  witness  that 
every  human  creature,  Jew  or  stranger,  man  or 
woman,  free  or  bond,  may  be  rilled  with  the  spirit  of 
God  if  they  render  themselves  worthy  to  receive  it. — 
Midrash. 


QReftgton  dnb 


For  all  people  will  walk  every  one  in  the  name  of 
his  God,  and  we  will  walk  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
our  God,  forever  and  ever.  —  Micah  iv.  j. 


one  thing,  I  cannot  look  at  the  succession  of  the 
ages,  and  see  what  a  tremendous  part  religion  has 

167 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

been  playing  on  the  busy  scene,  without  being  con- 
vinced that  here  is  something  essential  to  the  complete- 
ness of  humanity,  something  so  deeply  implicated  in  its 
structure  that  it  can  no  more  be  taken  out  of  it  without 
destructive  consequences,  than  the  bones  can  be  taken 
out  of  a  man's  body  or  his  muscles  unstrung  of  every 
quivering  nerve.  No  other  force  or  institution  has 
played  such  a  stupendous  part  in  human  history,  has 
reared  such  splendid  fanes,  dominated  such  mighty 
nations  and  events,  inspired  such  hopes  and  fears. 

And  when  we  think  of  what  religion  has  been  in  its 
total  manifestation,  in  its  terror  and  its  beauty,  in  its 
loveliness  and  its  joy,  in  its  strength  to  build,  its  energy 
to  sway,  its  might  to  set  up  and  cast  down,  then  might 
we  not  as  rationally  believe  that  the  art  of  government, 
the  State,  or  the  passion  for  beauty,  or  the  love  of  men 
and  women  for  each  other  was  something  superficial, 
something  that  might  have  its  day,  and  cease  to  be,  as 
to  believe  these  things  of  religion  ?  It  may  be  sub- 
jected to  incalculable  transformations  in  the  future  as 
it  has  been  in  the  past,  but  they  will  not  destroy  its 
identity  nor  bring  upon  its  perpetuity  the  shadow  of  a 

doubt.  TTr    ~ 

JOHN  W.  CHADWICK. 

T  of  the  heart  of  nature  rolled 
The  burdens  of  the  Bible  old ; 
The  litanies  of  nations  came, 
Like  the  volcano's  tongue  of  flame, 
Up  from  the  burning  core  below 
The  canticles  of  love  and  woe. 

168 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


X.  £0c  <Wt0bom  of 


Who,  like  the  wise  man,  knoweth  the  meaning  of 
a  thing  ?  his  wisdom  maketh  his  face  to  shine  pleas- 
antly and  softeneth  the  boldness  of  his  countenance 
—  Ecclesiastes  viii.  i. 


is  the  greatest  good,  for  it  doth  not  depart 
from  man.  And  the  mark  of  wisdom  is  that  a 
man  is  modest,  humble,  and  mild;  that  his  bearing  is 
polite,  peaceful,  and  forgiving;  that  his  actions  are 
moderate  and  his  speech  sparing.  The  wise  man  har- 
bors neither  revenge  nor  envy;  he  speaks  good  of  all 
men,  and  belittles  none.  He  avoids  vain  distinctions  of 
honor  before  men;  he  is  moderate  in  his  merriment, 
and  rejoices  not  at  the  misfortune  of  others.  He 
cleaves  fast  to  the  men  of  truth  and  faithfulness.  And 
by  these  modes  he  seeks  to  peacefully  instruct  man- 
kind. The  ornament  of  the  wise  is  morality;  as  the 
Romans  said :  Morality  is  the  external  revelation  of  the 
soul,  therefore  seek  to  model  it  as  perfectly  as  possible. 
Aristotle  said:  Morality  needs  no  nobility  of  birth; 
and  he  adds:  Morality  ornaments  riches,  and  hides  the 
poverty  of  the  poor.  I  counsel  thee,  make  no  alliance 
with  fools,  and  with  those  puffed  up  with  vanity;  for 
he  that  does  that,  is  like  a  man  that  waters  a  tree  that 

is  already  dead. 

JECHIEL  OF  ROME. 

To  discern  truth  in  everything  and  accept  it  by  whomsoever  spoken,  that 
is  wisdom.  Hindu. 

169 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

They  asked  Lokman  :  Of  whom  he  had  learned  philosophy  ;  he  answered  > 
Of  the  blind  ;  they  never  advance  a  step  until  they  have  tried  the  ground. 

Not  a  word  can  be  said,  even  in  the  midst  of  sport,  from  which  a  wise 
man  will  not  derive  instruction  ;  but  if  a  hundred  chapters  of  philosophy 
are  read  to  a  thoughtless  person,  it  will  seem  to  his  ears  folly  and  sport. 

Saadi. 

¥ 

XI.          £0e  CriafB  of 


Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of 
His  pious  ones.  —  Psalm  cxvi.  15. 

The  Lord  hath  chastened  me  sore,  but  He  hath 
not  given  me  over  unto  death.  —  Psalm  cxviii.  18. 

In  the  night-time  His  song  was  with  me.  — 
Psalm  xlii.  g. 


GOD!  Thou  lookest  down  upon  my  misery  (his 
utter  deafness).  Thou  knowest  that  it  is  accom- 
panied with  love  of  my  fellow-creatures  and  a  disposi- 
tion to  do  good !  O  men,  when  ye  shall  read  this,  think 
that  you  have  wronged  me ;  and  let  the  child  of  affliction 
take  comfort  on  finding  one  like  himself,  who,  in  spite 
of  all  the  impediments  of  nature  did  all  that  lay  in  him 
to  obtain  admittance  into  the  ranks  of  worthy  artists 
and  men.  You,  my  brothers,  as  soon  as  I  am  dead,  ask 
Prof.  Schmidt  to  write  a  description  of  my  disease  and 
to  that  description  annex  this  paper  that,  after  my 
death,  the  world  may  be  reconciled  with  me.  .  .  . 
What  you  have  done  to  me  to  grieve  me,  that,  you 
know,  has  long  been  forgiven.  Recommend  virtue  to 
your  children;  that  alone,  not  wealth,  can  give  happi- 
ness. I  speak  from  experience.  It  was  this  that  upheld 


170 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

me  in  affliction;  it  is  owing  to  this  and  to  my  art  that  I 
did  not  terminate  my  life  by  my  own  hand.  Farewell, 
and  love  one  another.  .  .  .  How  glad  I  am  to 
think  that  I  may  be  of  use  to  you  even  in  my  grave. 
If  death  come  before  I  have  had  occasion  to  develop 
all  my  professional  ability,  he  will  come  too  soon  for 
me;  but  even  then  I  am  content,  for  he  will  release  me 
from  a  state  of  uninterrupted  suffering.  Do  not  quite 
forget  me;  I  have  deserved  to  be  remembered  by  you; 
for  I  have  often  thought  of  you  to  make  you  happy. 
May  you  ever  be  so.  LUDWIG  VON  BEETHOVEN. 

My  music  is  the  product  of  my  genius  and  my  misery ; 
and  that  which  I  wrote  in  my  greatest  distress  is  that 
which  the  world  seems  to  like  best. 

FRANZ  SCHUBERT. 

HE  good  are  better  made  by  ill, 
As  odors  crushed  are  sweeter  still. 


XII.       £0e  Continuance  of  4)ut  feife. 

May  the  All-merciful  suffer  us  to  inherit  that  Day 
which  is  Sabbath  altogether,  and  that  Rest  which  is 
everlasting  Life. — Ancient  Hebrew  Prayer. 


life  we  live  here  is  the  parent  of  the  next. 
"  Heaven  is  but  earth  made  richer."  The  rest  of 
death  is  as  the  work  of  this  life,  dropping  the  body 
only,  as  the  Sabbath  Day  is  like  Monday  or  Friday. 
The  distinction  is  plain.  There  is  in  every  one  of  us, 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

in  so  far  as  we  are  thinking  beings,  a  separate  life :  the 
life  of  thought  and  feeling,  the  reverie  and  the  keen 
anxiety  of  the  future,  the  sense  of  sin  and  guilt,  the 
fear  of  punishment ;  we  toil  and  drudge  long  after  the 
wants  of  the  body  are  satisfied ;  we  are  all  being  driven 
by  this  second  life,  by  the  passions  of  the  mind.  The 
larger  portion  of  our  religious  experiences  lies  in  the 
contest  between  the  sense  of  right  and  wrong,  that 
requires  a  faith  in  something  higher  than  the  things 
that  are  seen.  The  lover  of  fashion  is,  in  a  sense,  liv- 
ing after  a  faith  in  something  which  art  declares  neces- 
sary. The  man  of  pleasure  who  rises  above  a  brute, 
guilds  the  horizon  of  his  low  landscape  with  some  sort 
of  faith.  It  is  the  other  part  of  us,  asserting  itself. 
We  may  well  say  then,  dropping  the  body,  the  identity 
of  the  two  lives  is  certain  as  a  fact  of  revelation.  In 
this  body  of  clay  we  fear  death.  There  we  lose  that 
fear.  .  .  .  We  lose  the  pains  of  sickness.  There 
God  will  wipe  away  all  the  tears  from  the  eyes.  But 
this  very  promise  implies  the  sameness  of  the  real  life, 
linking  together  the  two  parts  of  man's  destiny. 

CHARLES  H.    HALL. 

/JJ^TERNITY !  O  mighty,  wondrous  thought, 
V^     What  words  sufficient  for  so  high  a  theme ; 
With  promises  of  God's  sweet  mercy  fraught — 
The  joyous  morning  after  this  life's  dream. 

A  dream  that  points  to  hope  of  future  need, 

The  recompense  of  every  earthly  woe ; 
Our  trust  in  God  that  they  whose  soul  he  freed, 

Immunity  from  earthly  troubles  know. 

172 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XIII.        £6< 


Seest  thou  a  man  skilled  in  his  work — he  shall 
stand  before  kings. — Proverbs  xxii.  29. 

I  would  rather  be  a  doorkeeper  in  the  house  of 
my  God  than  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wickedness. — 

Psalm  Ixxxiv.  10. 


situation  that  has  not  its  duty,  its  ideal,  was 
never  yet  occupied  by  man.  Yes,  here,  in  this 
poor,  miserable,  hampered,  despicable  Actual,  wherein 
thou  even  now  standest,  here  or  nowhere  is  thy  Ideal; 
work  it  out  therefrom;  and  working,  believe,  live,  be 
free.  Fool!  the  Ideal  is  in  thyself,  the  impediment, 
too,  is  in  thyself:  thy  condition  is  but  the  stuff  thou  art 
to  shape  that  same  Ideal  out  of:  what  matters  whether 
such  stuff  be  of  ^this  sort  or  that,  so  the  form  thou  giv- 
est  it  be  heroic,  be  poetic.  O  thou  that  pinest  in  the 
imprisonment  of  the  Actual,  and  criest  bitterly  to  the 
gods  for  a  kingdom  wherein  to  rule  and  create,  know 
this  of  a  truth :  the  thing  thou  seekest  is  already  with 
thee,  "here  or  nowhere,"  couldst  thou  only  see! 

THOMAS  CARLYLE. 


Why  did  the  Lord  chose  the  Bramble  for  a  place  of 
Revelation  to  Moses?  To  teach  us  that  the  humblest 
creature  may  become  a  seat  of  the  Sh'chinah  (Divine 
Manifestation). — The  Pharisees. 

»73 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


O  answer  comes  to  those  that  pray 

And  idly  stand, 
And  wait  for  stones  to  roll  away 

At  God's  command  ; 
He  will  not  break  the  binding  cords 

Upon  us  laid, 
If  we  depend  on  pleading  words 

And  will  not  aid. 


XIV.  (geftgion  anb 


And  the  Lord  said  :  Shall  I  hide  from  Abraham  that 
thing  which  I  do  ?  Seeing  that  Abraham  shall  surely 
become  a  great  and  mighty  nation,  and  all  the  nations 
of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed  in  him  ?  For  I  know 
him  that  he  will  command  his  children  and  his  house- 
hold after  him,  that  they  shall  keep  the  way  of  the 
Lord  to  do  justice  and  judgment  —  Genesis  xviii. 


3  USE  this  text  to-day  to  make  one  point  of  it:  the 
virtues  which  are  taught  in  the  revealed  religion 
are  the  virtues  of  home.  .  .  .  The  Deity  is  repre- 
sented under  the  form  of  a  man,  debating,  as  it  were, 
whether  He  shall  tell  Abraham  what  He  means  to  do. 
The  point  on  which  He  seems  to  turn  and  come  to  a 
decision  is  the  fact  that  He  knows  him,  "that  he  will 
command  his  children  and  his  household  after  him  that 
they  shall  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord."  The  authority 
of  the  parent  is  thus  made  the  corner-stone  of  the  pri- 
mary religion.  The  virtues  of  all  revealed  religion 
were  to  be  taught  at  home.  They  are  still.  In  our 
zeal  for  the  complicated  machinery  of  religion,  for 

174 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

which  I  thank  God  as  useful  in  its  place,  we  are  always 
inclined  to  forget  this  law.  Religion  seems  to  rise  up 
in  our  minds  as  if  it  were  altogether  ecclesiastical  or 
sacerdotal — some  few  words  of  devotion,  some  schemes 
of  missions,  some  set  modes  of  alms-giving,  and  assem- 
bling in  public  to  read  the  Bible  and  listen  to  preach- 
ing. The  virtues  of  good  neighborhood,  "  the  justice 
and  judgment,"  of  which  the  text  speaks,  seem  to 
belong  to  the  inferior  agencies  of  school  and  home.  Is 
this  true  ?  Is  it  so  in  the  great  scheme  of  revealed 
religion  ?  I  think  not. 

CHARLES  H.  HALL. 

O  make  a  happy  fireside  clime 

For  weans  and  wife, 
That  is  the  true  pathos  and  sublime 
Of  human  life. 


XV.  TOf  (6 


.  .  .  Deal  thy  bread  to  the  hungry,  bring  the 
poor  that  are  cast  out  to  thy  house  ;  when  thou  seest 
the  naked  cover  him,  and  never  hide  thyself  from 
thine  own  flesh.  —  Isaiah  Iviii.  7. 


good  act  is  Charity.  Giving  water  to  the 
thirsty  is  charity.  Removing  stones  and  thorns 
from  the  road  is  charity.  Exhorting  your  fellow-men 
to  virtuous  deeds  is  charity.  Smiling  in  your  brother's 
face  is  charity.  Putting  a  wanderer  in  the  right  path  is 
charity.  A  man's  true  wealth  is  the  good  he  does  in 


175 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

this  world.  When  he  dies,  mortals  will  ask  what  prop- 
erty has  he  left  behind  him ;  but  angels  will  inquire, 
"  What  good  deeds  hast  thou  sent  before  thee  ?  " 

MAHOMET. 

AT  is  no  true  alms  which  the  hand  can  hold ; 
He  gives  nothing  but  worthless  gold 

Who  gives  from  a  sense  of  duty. 
But  he  who  gives  but  a  slender  mite 
And  gives  to  that  which  is  out  of  sight, 

That  thread  of  the  all-sustaining  Beauty 
Which  runs  through  all  and  doth  all  unite — 
The  hand  cannot  clasp  the  whole  of  his  alms, 
The  heart  outstretches  its  meager  palms, 
For  Heaven  goes  with  it  and  makes  it  store 
To  the  soul  that  was  starving  in  darkness  before. 


XVI.     QRepenf  for  3ff  6g  ©oing  <B>oob. 

Offer  the  sacrifice  of  mercy  and  put  your  trust  in 
the  Lord. — Psalm  iv.  5. 

For  I  desired  mercy  and  not  sacrifice,  and  the 
knowledge  of  God  more  than  burnt  offerings. — Hosca 
vi.  6.  

every  man  lovingly  cast  all  his  thoughts  and 
cares,  and  his  sins,  too,  as  it  were,  on  the  Will  of 
God.  Moreover,  if  a  man,  while  busy  in  this  lofty 
inward  work,  were  called  by  some  duty  in  the  Provi- 
dence of  God  to  cease  therefrom,  and  cook  a  broth  for 
some  sick  person,  or  any  other  such  service,  he  should 
do  so  willingly  and  with  great  joy.  If  I  had  to  forsake 

176 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

such  work,  and  go  out  to  preach  or  aught  else,  I  should 
go  cheerfully,  believing  not  only  that  God  would  be 
with  me,  but  that  He  would  vouchsafe  me  it  may  be 
even  greater  grace  and  blessing  in  that  external  work 
undertaken  out  of  true  love  in  the  service  of  my  neigh- 
bor, than  I  should  perhaps  receive  in  my  season  of 
loftiest  contemplation. 

JOHN  TAULER. 

3F  there  be  some  weaker  one, 
Give  me  strength  to  help  him  on  ; 
If  a  blinder  soul  there  be, 
Let  me  guide  him  nearer  Thee. 
Make  my  mortal  dreams  come  true 
With  the  work  I  fain  would  do  ; 
Clothe  with  life  the  weak  intent, 
Let  me  be  the  thing  I  meant  ; 
Let  me  find  in  Thy  employ 
Peace  that  dearer  is  than  joy. 


xvii.  Jgafrcb  anb  (pribe. 

Thou  shalt  not  hate  thy  brother  in  thy  heart  .  .  .  ; 
thou  shalt  not  avenge  thyself  nor  bear  any  grudge 
against  the  children  of  thy  people.  —  Leviticus  xix. 
77,  18. 

Thy  terribleness  hath  deceived  thee  and  the  pride 
of  thy  heart  .  .  .  though  thou  shouldest  make  thy 
nest  as  high  as  the  eagle,  I  will  bring  thee  down  from 
thence,  saith  the  Lord.  —  Jeremiah  xlix.  16. 


WISE  man  said:   "  He  that  sows  hatred  shall  reap 
remorse."     Wouldst  thou  be  revenged  upon  thine 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

enemy  ?  let  it  be  in  deeds  that  will  do  good  both  to  him 
and  to  thyself.  Aristotle  taught  Alexander:  "  Most  of 
all  do  I  adjure  thee  to  hate  no  man  in  the  world;  for 
next  to  the  knowledge  of  God  there  is  no  higher  truth 
than  this:  Love  all  men,  good  and  bad."  Practice 
humility  ;  and  humility  means  to  suffer  wrong  without 
revenge,  to  curb  anger,  and  to  live  at  peace  with  thy 
neighbor.  And  let  thy  conduct  be  the  same  to  the 
stranger  as  to  the  Jews,  thy  brethren. 

Avoid  vainglory,  and  fly  from  those  that  are  swollen 
with  pride  ;  nor  consider  unworthy  of  thee  any  lawful 
labor  that  is  necessary  for  thy  maintenance.  Rather 
live  thou  with  a  fool  than  with  one  that  is  proud  of 
spirit;  for  the  proud  one  thinketh  himself  better  than 
other  men,  sets  himself  apart,  and  is  ruthless  in  his 
behavior  to  those  around  him  •,  and  he  demands  on  the 
other  hand  respect  and  consideration  from  all  ;  and  in 
the  end  all  men  become  his  enemies. 

Value  faithfulness  and  honesty  ;  but  be  also  honest  in 
thy  words,  as  our  Sages  have  said  :  *  '  Let  thy  yea  be 
yea,  and  let  thy  nay  be  nay." 


*"t  KNOW  that  right  is  right, 
\J  That  it  is  not  good  to  lie  ; 
That  love  is  better  than  spite, 

And  a  neighbor  than  a  spy; 
I  know  that  passion  needs 

The  leash  of  a  sober  mind  ; 
I  know  that  generous  deeds 

Some  sure  reward  will  find. 

178 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XVIII.       £0e     c0oof  of 


It  is  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflicted,  that  I 
might  learn  Thy  statutes.  —  Psalm  cxix.  fi. 


may  be  boldly  affirmed  that  good  men  generally 
reap  more  substantial  benefits  from  their  afflictions 
than  bad  men  from  their  prosperities;  and  what  they 
lose  in  wealth  and  pleasure,  they  gain  in  goodness,  wis- 
dom, and  tranquility.  If  some  are  refined  like  gold  in 
the  furnace  of  affliction,  there  are  others,  that,  like 
chaff,  are  consumed  in  it.  Mirth  is  by  no  means  a 
remedy  for  grief ;  on  the  contrary,  it  raises  and  inflames 
it.  None  should  despair,  because  God  can  help  them ; 
and  none  should  presume,  because  God  can  crop  them. 
He  that  is  puffed  up  with  the  first  gale  of  prosperity, 
will  bend  beneath  the  first  blast  of  adversity. 

Reproof  in  adversity  has  a  double  sting.  Events 
which  have  the  appearance  of  misfortunes  often  prove 
a  source  of  future  felicity;  this  consideration  should 
help  us  to  support  affliction  with  calmness  and  forti- 
tude; since  we  cannot  know  "what  comes  after  it,"  as 
Koheleth  writes. 


'RANT  me,  O  God,  to  thee  to  fly 

For  comfort  when  the  storm  is  nigh ; 
Strong  in  Thy  refuge  let  me  stand, 
Strong  in  the  succor  of  Thy  hand. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Oh,  tear  not  in  a  world  like  this, 
And  thou  shalt  know  ere  long  — 

Know  how  sublime  a  thing  it  is 
To  suffer  and  be  strong. 


XIX.  £0e  ©tgnifg  of  (WXdn. 


Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  upright; 
for  the  end  of  that  man  is  peace. — Psalm  xxxvii.  37. 

A  good  man  shall  be  satisfied  of  himself. — Prov- 
erbs xiv.  14. 


3  MUST  confess  that  there  is  nothing  that  more 
pleases  me,  in  all  that  I  read  in  books,  or  see  in 
mankind,  than  such  passages  as  represent  human  nature 
in  its  proper  dignity.  As  man  is  a  creature  made  up  of 
different  extremes,  he  has  something  in  him  very  great 
and  very  mean.  A  skillful  artist  may  draw  an  excel- 
lent picture  of  him  in  either  of  these  views.  The  finest 
authors  in  antiquity  have  taken  him  on  the  more  advan- 
tageous side.  They  cultivate  the  natural  grandeur  of 
the  soul,  raise  in  her  a  generous  ambition,  feed  her 
with  hopes  of  immortality  and  perfection,  and  do  all 
they  can  to  widen  the  partition  between  the  virtuous 
and  the  vicious,  to  make  the  difference  between  them 
as  between  gods  and  brutes.  In  short,  it  is  impossible 
to  read  a  page  in  Plato,  in  Tully,  and  a  thousand  other 
ancient  moralists  without  being  a  greater  and  a  better 
man  for  it.  I  think  it  is  one  of  Pythagoras's  golden 
sayings :  ' '  That  a  man  should  take  care  above  all  things 


180 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

to  have  a  due  respect  for  himself."  The  very  design  of 
dress,  good  breeding,  outward  ornament  and  ceremony 
were  to  lift  up  human  nature  and  set  it  off  to  an  advan- 
tage. Architecture,  painting,  and  statuary  were  in- 
vented with  the  same  design,  as  indeed  every  art  and 
science  contributes  to  the  embellishment  of  life,  and  to 
the  wearing  off  and  throwing  into  shades  the  mean  and 
low  parts  of  our  nature ;  and  poetry  carries  on  this  end, 
more  than  all  the  rest. 

JOSEPH  ADDISON. 

ANPEN  thy  bosom,  set  thy  wishes  wide, 
^•^     And  let  in  manhood — let  in  happiness ! 
Amid  the  boundless  theater  of  thought — 
From  nothing  up  to  God — which  makes  a  man. 


XX.         £e  (o0ffe  af  Con0ctence. 


A  great  strong  wind  rent  the  mountains  and  rent 
to  pieces  the  rocks  before  the  Lord,  but  the  Lord  was 
not  in  the  wind  ;  and  after  the  wind  an  earthquake, 
but  the  Lord  was  not  in  the  earthquake  ;  and  after 
the  earthquake  a  fire,  but  the  Lord  was  not  in  the 
fire;  and  after  the  fire  a  still,  small  Voice.  And 
when  Elijah  heard  it,  he  wrapped  his  face  in  a  mantle 
and  went  out  and  stood  in  the  entering  of  the  cave. 
And  there  came  a  voice  to  him,  saying  :  What  doest 
thou  here,  Elijah  ?  —  /  Kings  xi.  11-13. 


QJXY  the  merciful  assistance  of  the  Most  High  I  have 
^•^  desired  to  labor  in  Europe,  in  America,  with 
English,  with  barbarians,  yea,  and  also  I  have  longed 


181 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

after  some  dealing  with  Jews  themselves,  for  whose 
hard  measure,  I  fear,  the  nations  and  England  have 
yet  a  score  to  pay.  I  desire  not  that  liberty  for  myself 
I  would  not  freely  and  impartially  weigh  out  to  all  the 
consciences  of  the  world  besides.  All  those  consciences 
ought  freely  and  impartially  to  be  permitted  their  sev- 
eral respective  worships,  and  what  way  of  maintaining 
them,  they  freely  chose. 

It  hath  been  told  one  that  I  labored  for  a  contentious 
and  licentious  people;  I  have  been  charged  with  folly 
for  that  freedom  and  liberty  which  I  have  always  stood 
for.  .  .  .  But,  Gentlemen,  blessed  be  God  who 
faileth  not,  and  blessed  be  His  name  for  His  wonderful 
Providences  by  which  alone  this  town  and  colony,  and 
that  grand  cause  of  Truth  and  Freedom  of  Conscience, 
hath  been  upheld  to  this  day.  ROGER  WILLIAMS. 

ET  still  there  whispers  the  small  voice  within, 

Heard  through  Gain's  silence  and  o'er  Glory's  din, 
Whatever  creed  be  taught  or  land  be  trod, 
Man's  conscience  is  the  oracle  of  God. 

¥ 

XXI.       Qfc  (preset  of  ^oufcfetBetfg. 

There  is  no  man  that  hath  power  over  the  spirit, 
to  hinder  the  spirit,  as  little  as  he  hath  power  in  the 
day  of  death.  .  .  . — Ecclesiastes  viii,  8. 


LL  experience  tells  us  that  public  peace  and  love  is 
better  than  abundance  of  corn  and  cattle.     I  have 


182 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

one  only  motion  and  petition  which  I  earnestly  pray  the 
town  to  lay  to  heart,  as  ever  they  look  for  a  blessing 
from  God  on  the  town,  on  your  families,  your  corn  and 
cattle,  and  your  children  after  you;  it  is  this:  That 
after  you  have  got  over  the  black  brook  of  some  soul 
bondage  yourselves,  you  tear  not  down  the  bridge  after 
you,  by  leaving  no  small  pity  for  distressed  souls  that 
may  come  over  you. 

What  are  all  the  contentions  and  wars  of  this  world 
about,  but  for  greater  dishes  and  bowls  of  porridge  ? 
But  here  all  over  this  colony  a  great  number  of  weak  and 
distressed  souls,  scattered,  are  flying  hither;  the  Most 
High  and  only  Wise  hath  provided  this  country  and 
this  corner  as  a  shelter  for  the  poor  and  persecuted, 
according  to  their  several  persuasions.  And  as  to 
myself,  in  endeavoring  after  your  temporal  and  spiritual 
peace,  I  humbly  desire  to  say,  if  I  perish,  I  perish .  It 
is  but  a  shadow  vanished,  a  bubble  broke,  a  dream  fin- 
ished. Eternity  will  pay  for  all. 

ROGER  WILLIAMS. 


AfNH,  could  I  worship  aught  beneath  the  skies 
That  earth  hath  seen  or  fancy  can  devise, 
Thine  altar,  sacred  liberty !  should  stand, 
Built  by  no  mercenary,  vulgar  hand 
With  fragrant  turf,  and  flowers  as  wild  and  fair 
As  ever  dressed  a  bank,  or  scented  summer  air. 

183 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXII.          £)ur  fact*  Our 


Say  ye  to  the  righteous  that  it  shall  be  well  with 
them,  for  they  shall  eat  the  fruit  of  their  doings. 
Woe  unto  the  wicked,  it  shall  be  ill  with  him,  for  the 
reward  of  his  hands  shall  be  given  him. — Isaiah  in* 


only  things  in  which  we  can  be  said  to  have  any 
property  are  our  actions.  Our  thoughts  may  be 
bad,  yet  produce  no  poison ;  they  may  be  good,  yet  pro- 
duce no  fruit.  Our  riches  may  be  taken  from  us  by 
misfortune,  our  reputation  by  malice,  our  spirits  by 
calamity,  our  health  by  disease,  our  friends  by  death. 
But  our  actions  must  follow  us  beyond  the  grave ;  with 
respect  to  them  alone  we  cannot  say  that  we  shall  carry 
with  us  nothing  when  we  die,  neither  that  we  shall  go 
naked  out  of  the  world.  Our  actions  must  clothe  us 
with  an  immortality  loathsome  or  glorious;  these  are 
the  only  title-deeds  of  which  we  cannot  be  disinherited; 
they  will  have  their  full  weight  in  the  balance  of  eter- 
nity, when  everything  else  is  as  nothing.  COLTON. 

Act  well  at  the  moment,  and  you  have  performed  a 
good  action  to  all  eternity.  LAVATER. 

when  time's  veil  shall  fall  asunder, 

The  soul  may  know 
No  fearful  change  nor  sudden  wonder, 
Nor  sink  the  weight  of  mystery  under, 
But  with  the  upward  rise,  and  with  the  vastness  grow. 

184 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XXIII. 


O  send  out  Thy  light  and  Thy  truth,  let  them  lead 
me,  let  them  bring  me  unto  Thy  holy  hill  and  to  Thy 
tabernacle.  Then  will  I  go  unto  the  altar  of  God, 
unto  God,  my  exceeding  joy.  .  .  . — Psalm  xliii. 


A^ERTAIN  past  ages  are  called  Ages  of  Faith,  in 
contradistinction  to  our  own  to  which  that  title  is 
denied.  Justly  ?  I  more  than  doubt  it.  For  one  thing, 
our  age  believes  in  Liberty  and  Light ;  year  after  year 
the  efforts  increase  to  spread  their  blessings,  to  eman- 
cipate and  enlighten  the  minds  even  of  the  humblest 
classes.  And  the  consequence  is  that  Ideas  begin  to 
rise  above  material  power.  They  scorn  armed  hosts; 
they  break  through  frowning  fortresses,  and  they  will, 
at  last,  silence  the  roar  of  the  battlefield.  The  time 
when  theorists  are  contemptuously  pushed  aside,  are 
ridiculed  as  impracticable  dreamers,  is  passing  away; 
because  the  world  has  found  out  that  their  dreams  have 
come  true,  and  are  now  commonplace  realities.  Lib- 
erty and  Light  are  the  watchwords  of  those  who  believe 
in  the  redemption  of  mankind  in  this  world.  May  they 
ever  inspire  and  guide  us.  _  _ 

^T'HE  light  pours  down  from  heaven 
X/     And  enters  where  it  may ; 
The  eyes  of  all  earth's  children 

Are  cheered  with  one  bright  day. 
So  let  the  mind's  true  sunshine 
Be  spread  o'er  earth  as  free, 
And  fill  men's  waiting  spirit 
As  the  waters  fill  the  sea. 

185 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXIV.  QScftcf  in 


The  Lord  is  good  to  all ;  and  His  tender  mercies 
are  over  all  His  works. — Psalm  cxlv.  9. 


CONSCIENTIOUS  person  would  rather  doubt  his 
own  judgment  than  condemn  his,  species.  He 
would  say:  "I  have  observed  without  attention,  or 
judged  upon  erroneous  maxims;  I  trusted  to  profession 
when  I  ought  to  have  attended  to  conduct."  Such  a 
man  will  grow  wise,  not  malignant,  by  his  acquaintance 
with  the  world.  But  he  that  accuses  all  mankind  of 
corruption,  ought  to  remember  that  he  is  sure  to  con- 
vict only  one.  In  truth,  I  should  much  rather  admit 
those,  whom,  at  any  time,  I  have  disrelished  the  most, 
to  be  patterns  of  perfection,  than  seek  a  consolation  to 
my  own  unworthiness  in  a  general  communion  of 
depravity  with  all  about  me.  BURKE. 

I  never  knew  one  who  made  it  his  business  to  lash 
the  faults  of  other  writers  that  was  not  guilty  of  greater 
ones-  ADDISON. 

OOD  nature  and  good  sense  must  ever  join ; 
To  err  is  human,  to  forgive  divine. 

HE  blessing  of  a  lowly  mind, 

Lord,  unto  me  be  given, 
Joy  in  the  humblest  spot  to  find, 
To  see  in  all  of  human  kind 
But  fellow-travelers,  designed 
To  rest  at  last  in  heaven. 

186 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXV.    £0e  @Uc0ifecf  of  Ctrcum0fancc0. 


And  the  Lord  God  took  Adam  and  put  him  into 
the  Garden  of  Eden  to  work  at  it  and  to  keep  it. — 
Genesis  ii.  15. 

And  Jacob  said  to  Laban  .  .  .  These  twenty 
years  have  I  worked  for  thee ;  in  the  day  the  drought 
consumed  me  and  the  frost  by  night,  and  the  sleep 
departed  from  mine  eyes. —  Genesis  xxxi.  38-40. 


^NSTEAD  of  saying:  Man  is  the  creature  of  circum- 
*J  stances,  it  would  be  nearer  the  mark  to  say  :  That 
man  is  the  architect  of  circumstance.  Our  strength  is 
measured  by  our  plastic  power.  From  the  same  materi- 
als one  man  builds  palaces,  another  hovels  ;  one  ware- 
houses, another  villas;  bricks  and  mortar  are  bricks  and 
mortar  until  the  architect  can  make  them  something 
else.  Thus  it  is  that  in  the  same  family,  in  the  same 
circumstances,  one  man  rears  a  stately  edifice,  while  his 
brother,  vacillating  and  incompetent,  lives  forever 
amidst  ruins.  The  block  of  marble  which  was  an  ob- 
stacle in  the  path  of  the  weak  becomes  a  stepping-stone 
in  the  pathway  of  the  strong.  THOMAS  CARLYLE. 

As  a  man  thinks  or  desires  in  his  heart,  such,  indeed, 
he  is;  for  then,  most  truly,  because  most  uncontrolably, 
he  acts  himself.  SOUTH. 


then  be  up  und  doing 
With  a  heart  for  every  fate  ; 
Still  achieving,  still  pursuing, 
Learn  to  labor  and  to  wait. 

187 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXVI. 


Lord,  my  heart  is  not  haughty  nor  mine  eye  lofty, 
neither  do  I  exercise  myself  in  matters  too  high  for 
me. — Psalm  cxxxi.  i. 


I,  then,  say :  Judaism  is  the  perfect  religion  ?  I 
confess  my  inability  to  understand  how  any  relig- 
ionist who  has  looked  about  him  with  an  unprejudiced 
mind,  can  lay  "  the  flattering  unction  to  his  soul"  that 
his  is  the  only  true,  or  the  best  religion  in  the  world. 
What  do  we  know  of  other  faiths,  beyond  the  merest 
outside,  and  in  many  cases  hardly  that  much  ?  By  what 
process  can  we  probe  the  soul  of  a  Buddhist,  when  he, 
weary  with  this  life's  aimless  struggles,  cries  out  for 
Nirvana  ?  or  the  heart  of  a  Mohammedan,  when  he 
makes  his  seven  circuits  around  the  Caaba  ?  How  can 
a  Jew  fathom  the  awe  with  which  a  Christian  looks  up 
into  the  pale  face  of  his  thorn-crowned  Redeemer,  to 
whom  he  owes  all  the  relief  he  has  from  an  everlasting 
death  that  is  worse  than  the  most  miserable  of  earthly 
lives  ?  On  the  other  hand,  how  can  a  Christian  feel 
what  passes  in  the  soul  of  a  Jew  whenever  he  hears  or 
repeats  the  old  battle-cry  of  his  creed:  Hear,  O  Israel  ? 
Has  he  ever  heard  it  fall  from  a  parent's  dying  lips  ? 
Does  he  even  know  of  the  thousands  that  rushed  into 
the  flames  hurling  their  defiance  by  the  same  word  into 
the  faces  of  their  murderers  ?  The  most  that  we  can 
justly  say  is:  My  religion  pleases,  satisfies  me  best;  and 


188 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

the  least  that  others  can  ask  of  us  is :  Prove  by  conduct 
what  thy  faith  can  do  for  the  best  of  mankind. 

G.  G. 

that  is  down  need  fear  no  fall ; 
He  that  is  low,  no  pride ; 
He  that  is  humble  ever  shall 
Have  God  to  be  his  guide. 

¥ 
XXVII. 


Hatred  stirreth  up  strifes;  but  love  covereth  all 
sins. — Prov.  x.  12. 

Envy,  Lust,  Hatred — these  three  are  forerunners  of 
death.  . —  The  Pharisees. 


is  forbidden  to  an  Israelite  to  bear  hatred  towards 
his  neighbor.  Because  of  the  hatred  of  his  breth- 
ren for  Joseph,  our  forefathers  were  exiled  in  Egypt, 
where  finally  they  became  enslaved.  And  so  our 
Rabbis  taught:  It  is  written:  "Thou  shalt  uot  hate  thy 
brother;"  meaning  also,  thou  shalt  not  injure  him, 
thou  shalt  not  revile  him,  thou  shalt  not  ill-use  him. 
All  these  things  the  Law  demands.  Nay,  more.  It  is 
added  "in  thy  heart;"  whence  follows  that  we  may 
not  carry  hatred  concealed  within  our  bosom,  even 
when  it  results  in  no  external  act.  In  respect  to  pun- 
ishment, the  sin  of  hatred  stands  on  the  same  level  with 
the  three  chief  sins,  idolatry,  immorality,  and  the  shed- 
ding of  blood.  Because  of  these  sins  the  first  Temple 
was  destroyed.  But  why  was  the  second  Temple 

189 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

destroyed  ?  We  know  quite  certainly  that  at  that  time 
the  Holy  Law  was  observed  and  works  of  piety  were 
done.  But  a  boundless  hatred  raged  between  the  vari- 
ous parties,  even  against  those  that  were  quite  spotless 
both  in  morality  and  in  the  Law.  Only  those  that 
openly  break  the  laws  may  one  hate  ;  that  is  to  say,  one 
may  endeavor  to  procure  their  punishment  according  to 
the  Law,  nothing  further.  But  let  the  accuser  always 
remember  the  earnest  warning  of  our  teachers:  Three 
men  are  hateful  unto  the  Lord.  i.  He  that  speaks 
other  than  he  thinks;  2.  He  that  is  able  to  bear  witness 
in  favor  of  another,  and  fails  to  do  so  ;  3.  He  that  appears 
as  a  single  witness  and  accuser  of  a  fellow-man  (since  the 
law  has  laid  down  the  rule  that  only  two  witnesses  may 
do  so).  RABBI  ACHAI, 

(VIII.  Century). 

ARCH  thine  own  heart.     What  paineth  thee  ? 

In  others,  in  thyself  may  be  ; 
All  dust  is  frail,  all  flesh  is  weak  ; 
Be  thou  the  true  man  thou  dost  seek. 


XXVIII.  <tt$af  (gis0feou0ne06  3nclubee. 


The  mouth  of  the  righteous  man  is  a  well  of  life. 
Proverbs  x,  n. 

The  labor  of  the  righteous  tendeth  to  life.  .  . 
—  Proverbs  x.  16. 


UT  true  justice  includes  love.     Certainly  the  Jew- 
ish principle  of  righteousness  does.     Does  love 


190 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

prompt  you  to  rescue  your  fellow-man  from  danger  and 
distress  ?  Justice  does  more.  It  holds  you  responsible 
for  the  sin  and  suffering  of  your  brother.  The  unfor- 
tunate has  a  claim  upon  your  help.  It  is  your  duty  to 
be  an  eye  to  the  blind  and  an  arm  to  the  helpless.  You 
cannot,  in  spite  of  all  commandments,  love  your  enemy, 
but  you  are  enjoined  by  the  law  of  justice  to  aid  him 
when  he  is  imperiled. 

Judaism  stands  for  justice,  which  is  the  life  of  the 
nations.  Christianity  stands  for  love,  which  is  the  con- 
cern only  of  individuals.  And  as  long  as  humanity 
has  to  work  out  its  salvation  on  the  stage  of  history, 
justice  must  be  the  principle  of  ethics,  justice  in  the 
higher  sense,  which  includes  love  and  tends  to  holiness. 

K.  KOHLER. 

Be  faithful  to  thy  trust,  and  disappoint  not  the  man  who  relieth  upon 
thee.  O  son  of  society,  examine  thy  heart,  call  remembrance  to  thine  aid, 
and,  if  in  any  of  these  things  thou  findest  thou  hast  transgressed,  take  sorrow 
and  shame  to  thyself,  and  make  speedy  reparation  to  the  utmost  of  thy 
power. 

¥ 

XXIX.         £au0e  Qto  ^fumgfing. 

Thou   shalt    put   no  stumbling-block   before   the 
blind.     .     .     . — Leviticus  xix,  14. 


are  bound  to  do  all  that  in  us  lies  to  make  our 
fellow-man  find  his  true  personality,  and  assist 
him  in  his  endeavors  to  express  it  in  his  life ;  in  no  way 


191 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

must  we  be  the  cause  of  our  brother's  straying  from 
the  right  to  the  wrong  path  by  our  casting  a  stumbling- 
block  in  his  way.  Neither  by  our  speech  nor  by  our 
conduct  towards  him  must  we  stagger  his  faith  in  the 
eternal  validity  of  Right  and  Truth.  The  more  con- 
spicuous our  place  in  society,  and  the  more  weighty 
our  words  and  actions,  the  more  must  we  be  on  our 
guard  as  to  their  effects  on  our  surroundings.  To 
scandalize  a  fellow-man  without  necessity  is  an  indirect 
attack  upon  his  spiritual  life,  just  as  slavery,  contempt 
and  flattery  are  direct  ones.  We,  therefore,  must 
never  treat  the  faith  and  convictions  of  a  fellow-man  in 
a  manner  justly  offensive  to  him,  much  less  deride 
them.  By  such  treatment  we  never  shall  improve  any. 
one;  by  mere  mockery  we  shall  never  convince  him  of 
his  errors,  never  lead  him  to  the  truth ;  if  it  does  not 
make  him  cling  the  more  stubbornly  to  his  errors,  he 
may,  at  last,  become  a  confirmed  skeptic,  and  answer 
back  our  ridicule  of  what  was  once  holy  to  him  with  an 
open  contempt  of  all  else  that  claims  our  reverence  as 

"holy  unto  the  Lord." 

SAMUEL  HIRSCH. 

THOU  who  over  moving  worlds  presides, 

Whose  voice  created  and  whose  wisdom  guides, 
O'er  darkling  man  in  pure  effulgence  shine 
And  cheer  the  clouded  mind  with  light  divine. 

'Tis  thine  alone  to  calm  the  pious  breast 

With  silent  confidence  and  holy  rest; 

From  Thee,  great  God,  we  spring,  to  Thee  we  tend, 

Path,  motive,  guide,  original  and  end. 

192 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXX.    <frotn  ffle  Crabfe  to  t0e 


O  God,  Thou  hast  taught  me  from  my  youth ;  and 
hitherto  have  I  declared  Thy  wondrous  works ;  Now 
also  when  I  am  old  and  gray-headed,  O  God,  forsake 
me  not,  until  I  have  showed  Thy  strength  unto  this 
generation  and  Thy  power  to  everyone  that  is  come. 
— Psalm  Hit.  77,  /<?. 


,  who  dost  dwell  alone — 
Thou,  who  dost  know  thine  own — 
Thou  to  whom  all  are  known 
From  the  cradle  to  the  grave, — 
Save,  oh,  save ! 

From  the  ingrained  fashion 
Of  this  earthly  nature 
That  mars  Thy  creature  ; 
From  grief  that  is  but  passion ; 
From  mirth  that  is  but  feigning ; 
From  tears  that  bring  no  healing ; 
From  wild  and  weak  complaining; 
Thine  old  strength  revealing, 
Save,  oh,  save ! 

O  let  the  false  dream  fly 
Where  our  sick  souls  do  lie 
Tossing  continually. 
O  where  thy  voice  doth  come 
Let  all  doubts  be  dumb : 
Let  all  words  be  mild  : 
All  strifes  be  reconciled : 
All  pains  beguiled. 
Light  bring  no  blindness; 
Love  no  unkindness ; 
Knowledge  no  ruin ; 
Fear  no  undoing. 
From  the  cradle  to  the  grave 
Save,  oh,  save ! 

MATTHEW  ARNOLD. 


Jnner  Bifc* 


Before  all  things  guard  thy  heart ;  for  out  of  it  are 
the  issues  of  life. — Proverbs  iv.  23. 

Whether  it  is  given  to  a  man  to  do  much  or  to  do 
Itttle — so  that  his  heart  be  to  God-ward,  he  is  accepted. 
—  The  Pharisees. 

Try  to  reach  thine  own  heart  which  is  the  greater 
pilgrimage  ;  a  heart  which  is  single  is  preferable  to  a 
thousand  Caabas, — Muhammadan. 


ie0  of 


Now  set  your  heart  and  your  soul  to  seek  the 
Lord  your  God.     .     .     . — /.  •  Chronicles  xxii.  79. 

I  delight  to  do  Thy  will,  O  God,  yea,  Thy  Law  is 
within  my  heart. — Psalm  xl.  8. 


@S  is  well  known  to  all,  our  duties  towards  God  are 
of  two  kinds:  those  which  we  perform  with  our 
body  and  are  visible,  and  those  which  appertain  to  the 
heart  and  are  invisible.  I  have  inquired  diligently 
to  know  what  is  their  mutual  relation,  and  to  that 
end  consulted  the  three  sources  of  our  faith,  viz: 
Reason,  Revelation,  and  Tradition,  and  I  have  found  all 
three  to  agree  in  the  conclusion  that  the  duties  of  the 
heart  are  the  foundation  of  those  of  the  body,  so  that 
the  latter  lose  all  religious  meaning  if  the  heart  and  the 
mind  of  the  doer  have  no  part  in  them.  Prayer,  Fast- 
ing, Almsgiving,  Study  of  the  Law,  Tabernacles,  M'sus- 
ah,  in  fact,  the  whole  body  of  Rituals  and  Ceremonials 
is  vain,  if  not  done  with  the  whole  being  of  the  observer, 
that  is  to  say,  with  the  body  and  the  soul ;  for  without 
the  inward  desire  to  approach  to  God  and  become 
united  with  Him,  the  Rituals  differ  in  nothing  from  our 
ordinary  actions.  In  view  of  this  conclusion,  I  resolved 
to  compose  these  treatises,  in  which  I  shall  show:  How 

197 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

our  thoughts  should  conform  to  our  doctrine  of  the  Unity 
of  God;  how  to  trace  the  goodness  of  His  Providence; 
how  to  fulfill  the  duty  of  His  service,  how  to  prove 
our  trust  in  Him ;  how  to  make  the  glory  of  His  name 
the  chief  motive  of  our  actions;  how  to  keep  our  souls 
humble  and  meek  before  Him ;  how  to  repent  for  our 
sins  so  as  to  find  forgiveness  from  Him ;  how  to  prac- 
tice continual  self-examination;  how  to  find  the  true 
limits  of  our  separation  from  the  world;  and  how  to 
reach  the  highest  of  all  duties — Love  of  God  with  all 
our  heart,  and  all  our  soul,  and  all  our  might. — From 
the  Preface  to  the  work :  On  the  Duties  of  the  Heart,  by 
Bee  hay  ben  Joseph  iUn  Pakuda.  XII.  Century. 


II.         CtoftgaftonB  —  $,  (Qteans 


But  Elisha  went  a  day's  journey  into  the  wilderness 
and  came  and  sat  down  under  a  juniper  tree  ;  and  he 
prayed  for  himself  that  he  might  die,  and  said  :  It  is 
enough  !  Now,  O  Lord,  take  away  my  life,  for  I  am 
not  better  than  my  fathers.  —  /.  Kings  xix.  4. 


3T  is  true  that  many  pious  men  in  ages  gone  by  have 
broken  the  universal  rule,  to  select  the  just  mean  in 
all  the  actions  of  life;  at  times  they  went  to  extremes. 
Thus  they  fasted  often,  watched  through  the  nights, 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

abstained  from  flesh  and  wine,  wore  sackcloth,  lived 
among  the  rocks,  and  wandered  in  the  deserts.  They 
did  this,  however,  only  when  they  considered  it  neces- 
sary to  restore  their  disturbed  moral  equipoise,  or 
to  avoid,  in  the  midst  of  men,  temptations  which,  at 
times,  were  too  strong  for  them.  These  abnegations 
were  for  them  means  to  an  end;  and  they  forsook 
them  as  soon  as  that  end  was  attained.  Thoughtless 
men,  however,  regarded  castigations  as  holy  in  them- 
selves, and  imitated  them  without  thinking  of  the  in- 
tentions of  their  examples.  They  thought  thereby  to 
reach  perfection  and  to  approach  to  God.  The  fools  ! 
as  if  God  hated  the  body,  and  took  pleasure  in  its 
destruction.  They  did  not  consider  how  many  sick- 
nesses of  soul  their  actions  caused.  They  are  to  be 
compared  to  such  as  take  dangerous  medicines,  because 
they  have  seen  that  experienced  physicians  have  saved 
many  a  one  from  death  with  them  ;  so  they  ruin  them- 
selves. This  is  the  meaning  of  the  cry  of  the  Prophet 
Jeremiah:  "  Oh,  that  I  had  in  the  wilderness  a  lodging 
place  of  wayfaring  men,  that  I  might  leave  my  people 
and  go  from  them." 

MOSES  MAJMONIDES. 


my  heart  been  wavering  long  ? 
Have  I  dallied  oft  with  wrong  ? 
Now,  at  last,  I  firmly  say  : 
All  my  will  to  Thee  I  give, 
Only  to  my  God  to  live, 

And  to  serve  Him  night  and  day. 

199 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

HI.  £0e  (Unfaifing  (Rewtrb. 


In  all  labor  there  is  profit ;  but  the  mere  talk  of 
the  lips  tendeth  to  penury. — Proverbs  xiv.  23, 

The  path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  that 
shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day. — Pro-v- 
erbs iv.  18. 


labor  in  the  pursuit  of  that  which  is  perfectly 
good,  even  if  it  fail  to  reach  the  goal,  is  sufficient 
of  itself  to  benefit  the  laborer.  The  impulses  towards 
excellence,  though  they  fail  to  attain  their  end,  give 
joy  to  those  who  have  them. 

But  the  disciples  of  the  true  Word  must  be  true  men, 
lovers  of  temperance  and  order  and  reverence,  who 
have  laid  the  foundations  of  their  lives  in  self-restraint 
and  endurance  and  contentment,  as  the  safe  harborage 
of  their  souls  where  they  can  lie  at  anchor  without  risk 
or  harm. 

PHILO  JUD^EUS. 

yjVOD  of  the  earnest  heart, 
^*-^     The  trust  assured  and  still, 
Thou  who  our  strength  for  ever  art, 

We  come  to  do  Thy  will, 
'Gainst  doubt  and  shame  and  fear 

In  human  hearts  to  strive, 
That  all  may  learn  to  love  and  bear, 

To  conquer  self  and  live. 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 


IV.      gge  (ginsbom  of  (Stan  to 


What  profit  hath  a  man  of  all  his  labors  which  he 
taketh  under  the  sun?  ...  All  things  are  full  of 
wearisome  labor  ;  man  cannot  utter  it  ;  the  eye  is  not 
satisfied  with  seeing,  nor  the  ear  filled  with  hearing. 
...  I  have  seen  all  the  works  that  are  done  under 
the  sun;  and  behold,  all  is  vanity  and  vexation  of 
spirit  .  .  .  yet  I  saw  that  wisdom  excelleth  folly  as 
far  as  light  excelleth  darkness.  —  Ecclesiastes  i.  j,  8, 
«.  is-  _ 

another  mistake  thrives  under  the  otherwise 
wholesome  demand  for  a  religion  of  life  and  truth. 
It  is  this,  that  man  is  mostly,  if  not  altogether,  treated, 
in  his  outward  relation  to  society,  as  a  wheel  in  a  ma- 
chine ;  the  whole  purpose  of  his  existence  is  :  to  help  the 
machine  do  its  work;  in  himself  he  is  nothing,  less  and 
worse  than  nothing,  since  he  is  a  nothing  that  suffers  so 
many  pangs  and  shocks,  and  sheds  such  bitter  tears  —  a 
nothing,  yet  bold  enough  to  think  that  it  ought  to  be 
something,  and  not  to  be  crushed  before  the  moth,  or 
shrivelled  up  into  a  grain  of  dust  like  a  midge.  There 
was  something  in  the  idea  worth  suffering  for,  that 
man  is  crowned  with  glory  and  honor,  formed  in  the 
image  of  God,  however  faint  and  dim  the  outline,  and 
that  he  is  worth  a  thought  and  a  care  of  that  God. 
But  his  crown  is  now  cast  in  the  dust.  His  soul  is 
no  better  than  the  falling  leaf.  The  Universe,  so 
vast,  has  yet  no  room  for  his  soul.  Why  shall  he  care 
for  it  ?  Why  keep  it  pure  ?  Why  cultivate  its  facul- 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ties  ?  Why  tame  its  passion  and  listen  to  the  music 
of  reason  or  the  thunder  of  conscience  ?  This  is  not 
life,  but  living  death. 

The  accident  of  an  accident  need  be  no  wiser  than 
its  origin,  certainly  no  better  than  the  heartless  cruelty 
that  flung  him  upon  earth  a  helpless  creature.  The 
highest  life  of  man  is  within,  and  this  is  exactly  the 
thing  about  which  the  wisdom  of  to-day  is  dumb. 

G.  G. 

@ND  is  this  all  that  man  can  claim  ? 
Is  this  our  longing's  final  aim  ? 
To  be  like  all  things  round,  no  more 
Than  pebbles  cast  on  time's  gray  shore  ? 

Not  this  our  doom,  Thou  God  benign ! 
Whose  rays  on  us  unclouded  shine ; 
Thy  breath  sustains  yon  fiery  dome ; 
But  man  is  most  Thy  favored  home. 

¥ 

V.       (gefiignafion— £0c  (Breafeef  (powr 
of  ffle  (ttXtnb. 

And  David  said,  Behold,  here  I  am;  let  the 
Lord  do  unto  me  as  seemeth  good  unto  Him. — 
//.  Samuel  xv.  26. 


mind  never  puts  forth  greater  power  over  itself 
than  when,  in  great  trials,  it  yields  up  calmly  its 
desires,  affections,  interests  to  God.  There  are  seasons 
when  to  be  still  demands  immeasurably  higher  strength 
than  to  act.  Composure  is  often  the  highest  result  of 
power.  Think  you  it  demands  no  power  to  calm  the 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

stormy  elements  of  passion,  to  moderate  the  vehemence 
of  desire,  to  throw  off  the  load  of  dejection,  to  suppress 
every  repining  thought,  when  the  dearest  hopes  are 
withered,  and  to  turn  the  wounded  spirit  from  danger- 
ous reveries  and  wasting  grief,  to  the  quiet  discharge 
of  ordinary  duties  ?  Is  there  no  power  to  put  forth 
when  a  man,  stripped  of  his  property,  of  the  fruits  of 
a  life's  labors,  quells  discontent  and  gloomy  forebod- 
ings_  and  serenely  and  patiently  returns  to  the  tasks 
which  Providence  assigns  ? 

WM.  E.  CHANNING. 

f^ORD,  I  would  fain  be  still 
^f     And  quiet  behind  my  shield  ; 
But  make  me  to  love  Thy  will, 
For  fear  I  should  ever  yield. 

Nothing  but  perfect  trust, 

And  love  of  Thy  perfect  will, 
Can  raise  me  out  of  the  dust, 

And  bid  my  fears  be  still. 

» 
VI.  mttin    for  0e  £orb. 


Delight  thyself  in  the  Lord  and  He  shall  give 
thee  the  desires  of  thy  heart  .  .  .  Hold  still  to 
the  Lord  and  wait  patiently  for  Him  ;  fret  not  thyself 
because  of  him  who  prospereth  in  His  way,  because 
of  the  man  who  bringeth  wicked  devices  to  pass.  — 
Psalm  xxxvii.  4,  j,  7. 


is  my  fervent  hope  that  these  words  of  mine  may 
touch  a  heart  here  and  there  weighted  with  anxie- 
ties or  filled  even  with  lawful  desires  for  some  temporal 


203 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

good.  Let  them,  if  possible,  get  a  higher  craving  still 
for  God  and  His  love,  and  for  more  perfect  obedience 
to  His  blessed  will  ;  let  them  try  to  submit  and  to  re- 
sign their  most  ardent  wishes  so  only  that  God  may  do 
with  them  just  what  He  likes,  and  that  they  may  freely 
place  themselves  to  be  dealt  with  even  unto  sacrifice  in 
the  way  which  seemeth  to  Him  good;  and  we  may 
safely  assure  them  that  they  will  taste  of  a  happiness 
which  they  never  knew  before,  and  their  burdens  will 
fall  off  them  and  their  hearts  be  lightened  and  their 
faces  shall  not  be  ashamed  ;  for  in  His  presence  there  is 
fullness  of  joy  and  at  His  right  hand  there  are  pleasures 
which  never  fade,  even  on  this  poor  earth  below. 

CHARLES  VOYSEY. 

HOU  Power  supreme  !  whose  mighty  scheme 

These  woes  of  mine  fulfill, 
Here  firm  I  rest  ;  they  must  be  best, 

Because  they  are  Thy  will  ! 
Then  all  I  want  (O  do  Thou  grant 

This  one  request  of  mine  !) 
Since  to  enjoy  Thou  didst  deny, 
Assist  me  to  resign. 

¥ 

VII.         £0e  QBfe00ebne06  of 


Now,  O  Lord,  what  wait  I  for  ?  my  hope  is  in 
Thee.  I  am  silent,  I  open  not  my  mouth,  for  Thou 
didst  it.  —  Psalm  xxxix.  7,  9. 


prayer  which  does  not  succeed  in  moderating 
our  wish,  in  changing  the  passionate  desire  into 
still  submission,   the  anxious,  tumultuous  expectation 


204 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

into  silent  surrender,  is  not  true  prayer,  and  proves 
that  we  have  not  the  spirit  of  prayer.  That  life  is  most 
holy  in  which  there  is  least  of  petition  and  desire,  and 
most  of  waiting  upon  God ;  that  in  which  petition  most 
often  passes  into  thanksgiving.  Pray  till  prayer  makes 
you  forget  your  own  wish,  and  leave  it  or  merge  it  into 
God's  will.  The  Divine  Wisdom  has  given  us  prayer, 
not  as  a  means  whereby  to  obtain  the  good  things  of 
earth,  but  as  a  means  whereby  we  learn  to  do  without 
them ;  not  as  a  means  whereby  we  escape  evil,  but  as  a 
means  whereby  we  become  strong  to  meet  it. 

F.  W.   ROBERTSON. 

then,  from  all  my  grief,  O  Lord, 
Thy  mercy  set  me  free, 
Whilst  in  the  confidence  of  prayer 
My  soul  took  hold  on  Thee. 

Give  me,  O  Father,  to  Thy  throne  access, 
Unshaken  seat  of  endless  happiness  ; 
Give  me,  unveiled,  the  source  of  good  to  see, 
Give  me  Thy  light,  and  fix  my  eyes  on  Thee. 


vin.  £0e     ower  of 


Yet  the  Lord  will  command  His  loving  kindness 
in  the  daytime,  and  in  the  night  His  song  shall  be 
with  me  and  my  prayer  unto  the  God  of  my  life.  — 
Psalm  xlii.  8. 


desire  for  prayer  is  as  old  as  the  first  dawn  of 
intelligence  in  man ;  it  is  found  with  the  savage, 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

prostrated  before  a  tree,  a  stone,  or  an  image,  as  well 
as  with  the  saint  in  his  ecstatic  communion  with  the 
Infinite.  It  is  the  first  uplifting  of  the  child's  heart  at 
the  entrance  of  life,  and  the  last  thought  of  the  dying  at 
the  portal  of  the  grave.  When  we  have  accustomed 
ourselves  to  begin  every  day  with  a  devout  thought  of 
God — no  matter  in  what  form  we  do  it — do  we  not  feel 
its  influence  during  the  day  ?  Can  the  young  man 
become  a  prey  to  his  passions,  who  is  held  to  his 
moorings  by  the  anchor  of  his  daily  prayer  ?  Test  it  in 
an  assembly;  what  other  power  will  so  speedily  and  so 
surely  subdue  all  hearts  as  that  of  an  earnest  invocation 
to  God,  uttered  by  one  whose  piety  entitles  him  to  the 
high  prerogative  of  mediator  between  earth  and  heaven. 

Make  thine  own  heart  thy  palace, 
Lest  the  world  become  thy  dungeon, 

warns  an  Eastern  sage,  and  there  is  nothing  more 
helpful  to  this  end  than  true  soul-prayer,  and  the 
worshipful  thought  of  the  living  God. 

G.  G. 

RST  worship  God :  he  that  forgets  to  pray, 
Bids  not  himself  Good-morrow,  nor  Good-day. 

¥ 

IX,  (prdger  —  @ln  (Experience. 

I  poured  out  my  complaint  before  God ;  I  showed 
before  Him  my  trouble  ...  I  said:  Thou  art  my 
refuge,  my  portion  in  the  land  of  the  living. — Psalm 
cxlii.  2, 5. 

206 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

truth  of  Prayer  is  an  intuition,  and  its  verifica- 
tion universal  experience;  and  it  is  on  truths  ol 
this  nature  that  the  deepest  and  holiest  life  of  the  soul 
rests.  Two  young  people  meet,  and  (as  we  suggestively 
say)  fall  in  love  with  each  other ;  can  they  give  any 
reason  for  their  love?  for  their  belief  that  they  were 
created  for  each  other,  and,  unless  made  One,  their 
hearts  would  break  ?  Friendships  can  never  be  manu- 
factured. A  person  may  lavish  no  end  of  kindness 
on  us,  without  gaining  a  touch  of  personal  attach- 
ment, whilst  another,  taking  no  trouble  to  win  it, 
receives  it  as  a  free  gift  from  us.  It  is  a  bad  sign  for 
children  to  begin  questioning,  on  what  ground,  and  to 
what  extent,  they  are  bound  to  conform  to  the  wishes 
of  their  parents.  True  love,  which  is  a  mystery  of  the 
soul,  shrinks  from  such  a  discussion.  Conscience  is 
simply  consciousness  of  duty,  and  right,  and  honor. 
Who  will  define  it  ?  Yet  men  deeply  affected  by  that 
sense,  rather  than  forfeit  it  cast  their  lives  away.  Why 
not  let  prayer  rest  on  the  same  foundation,  and,  with- 
out too  curious  questionings,  accept  the  blessedness  it 
is  able  to  bestow  ? 

G.  G. 

the  path  of  life  to  win  us, 
Thou,  O  God,  didst  plant  within  us 
Aspirations  high  and  bright ; 
Bring  us  to  Thy  presence  nearer, 
Let  us  see  Thy  glories  clearer, 
Till  all  mists  shall  melt  in  light. 

TOJ 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

X.  If  not 


Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee,  O  God  ?  and 
there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  beside  Thee- 
Though  my  flesh  and  my  heart  faileth,  yet  God  is 
the  strength  of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  for  ever. — 
Psalm  Ixxiii.  25,  26. 


the  thought  of  God  fades  from  heart  and 
mind,  what  other  thought  shall  take  its  place  ? 
or  shall  it  remain  a  blank;  and  shall  we,  so  impoverished, 
face  the  problems  and  meet  the  challenges  of  life  ? 
When  the  purifying  and  consoling  influence  of  worship 
ceases,  what  other  shall  come  in  its  stead  ?  When  the 
inspiring  memories  of  a  heroic  history  are  no  longer 
awakened  in  the  Jewish  heart — what  other  impulse 
shall  save  the  young  nature  from  the  bane  of  selfish- 
ness ?  Let  parents  ponder  well  these  questions  before 
they  venture  to  send  their  children  out  into  a  world 
where  the  strength  and  courage  of  the  bravest  are 
often  tried  to  the  utmost,  send  them  out  unprovided 
with  those  resources,  which,  by  the  testimony  of  all 
ages  and  all  nations,  are  only  found  in  the  religious 
ideals  of  the  soul. 

G.  G. 

3N  God,  the  holy,  wise  and  just, 
From  childhood's  tender  years, 
Have  I  reposed  with  perfect  trust 
My  changing  hopes  and  fears. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

And  should  my  term  of  life  exceed 

Frail  man's  allotted  days, 
Until  the  last  my  prayer  would  plead 

For  strength  my  God  to  praise. 

XI.   £0e  (gtorning  anb  (Boning  ^fdt0  of  fcife. 

Thou  makest  the  outgoings  of  the  morning  and 
the  evening  to  rejoice, — Psalm  Ixv.  8, 

To  declare  Thy  mercy  in  the  morning  and  Thy 
faithfulness  in  the  night-times. — Psalm  xcii.  2. 


CO  ELIGION,  whether  natural  or  revealed,  has  always 
^  the  most  beneficial  influence  on  the  mind.  In 
youth,  in  health,  in  prosperity,  it  awakens  feelings  of 
gratitude  and  sublime  love,  and  purifies  at  the  same 
time  that  which  it  exalts;  but  it  is  in  misfortune,  in 
sickness,  in  age,  that  its  effects  are  most  truly  and 
beneficially  felt.  When  submission  in  faith,  and  humble 
trust  in  the  Divine  will,  from  duties  become  pleasures, 
and  unfailing  sources  of  consolation,  then  it  creates 
powers  which  were  believed  to  be  extinct,  and  gives  a 
freshness  to  the  mind  which  was  supposed  to  have 
passed  away  for  ever,  but  which  is  now  renovated  as  an 
immortal  hope.  Its  influence  outlives  all  earthly  enjoy- 
ments, and  becomes  stronger  as  the  organs  decay  and 
the  frame  dissolves ;  it  appears  as  the  evening  star  of 
light,  in  the  horizon  of  life,  which  we  are  sure  is  to 
become,  in  another  season,  a  morning  star,  and  it 
throws  its  radiance  through  the  gloom  and  shadow  of 
death.  HUMPHREY  DAVY. 

209 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

3N  ardent  adoration  joined, 
Obedient  to  Thy  holy  will, 
Let  all  our  faculties  combined 

Thy  just  desires,  O  God,  fulfill, 
From  Thee  derived,  eternal  King, 
To  Thee  our  noblest  powers  bring  ; 
O  may  Thy  hand  direct  our  wandering  way  ! 
O  bid  Thy  light  arise,  and  chase  the  clouds  away  ! 

¥ 

XII.  ©emotion—  $  feifring  JSense  of 


The  Lord  is  my  portion,  saith  my  soul,  therefore 
will  I  hope  in  Him.  The  Lord  is  good  to  them  that 
wait  for  Him,  to  the  soul  that  seeketh  Him.  It  is 
good  that  a  man  should  both  hope  and  quietly  wait 
for  the  help  of  the  Lord.  —  Lamentations  in.  24-26. 

Would  to  God  man  remembered  his  prayers  all 
day  from  morning  to  night.  —  The  Pharisees. 


;E  not  afraid  to  pray — to  pray  is  right. 

Pray,  if  thou  canst,  with  hope,  but  ever  pray, 
Though  hope  be  weak,  or  sick  with  long  delay ; 
Pray  in  the  darkness,  if  there  be  no  light. 
Far  is  the  time,  remote  from  human  sight, 
When  war  and  discord  on  the  earth  shall  cease ; 
Yet  every  prayer  for  universal  peace 
Avails  the  blessed  time  to  expedite. 
Whate'er  is  good  to  wish,  ask  that  of  Heaven, 
Though  it  be  what  thou  canst  not  hope  to  see ; 
Pray  to  be  perfect,  though  material  leaven 
Forbid  the  spirit  so  on  earth  to  be ; 
But  if  for  any  wish  thou  darest  not  pray, 
Then  pray  to  God  to  cast  that  wish  away. 


HARTLEY  COLERIDGE. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XIII.  3*  (Bob's  £)tw  £ime. 


At  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  the  children  of 
Israel  journeyed,  and  at  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord  they  pitched  :  as  long  as  the  cloud  abode  upon 
the  tabernacle  they  rested  in  their  tents  —  Numbers 
ix.  18.  _ 

is  no  time  lost  while  we  are  waiting  God's 
time.  It  is  as  acceptable  a  piece  of  submission  to 
the  will  of  God  to  sit  still  contentedly  when  our  lot 
requires  it,  as  to  work  for  Him  when  we  are  called  to 
it.  When  the  cloud  was  taken  up,  they  removed,  how 
comfortably  soever  they  were  encamped.  The  people 
being  thus  kept  at  a  constant  uncertainty,  and  having 
no  time  fixed  for  their  stays  and  their  removes,  were 
obliged  to  hold  themselves  in  constant  readiness  to 
march  at  a  moment's  warning.  For  the  same  reason 
we  are  kept  uncertain  as  to  the  time  of  "  putting  off  our 
earthly  tabernacle,"  that  we  may  be  always  ready  to 
remove.  As  long  and  as  far  as  the  cloud  moved,  so 
long  and  so  far  they  marched;  and  where  it  abode,  they 
pitched  their  tents  about  it,  and  God's  tent  under  it. 

M.  HENRY. 

T  so  in  haste,  my  heart, 
Have  faith  in  God  and  wait  ; 
Although  He  linger  long, 
He  never  comes  too  late. 

He  never  comes  too  late  ; 

He  knoweth  what  is  best  ; 
Vex  not  thyself  in  vain 

Until  He  cometh,  rest, 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Until  He  coraeth,  rest ; 

Nor  grudge  the  hours  that  roll ; 
The  feet  that  wait  for  God 

Are  soonest  at  the  goal. 

Are  soonest  at  the  goal 

That  is  not  gained  by  speed ; 
Then  hold  thee  still,  my  heart, 

For  I  shall  wait  His  lead. 


XIV.  ^ftffneee  to  (Bob. 


And  He  said :  my  presence  shall  go  with  thee,  and 
I  will  give  thee  rest. — Exodus  xxxiii.  14, 


Q^E  still  and  calm  in  thy  own  mind  and  spirit  from 
^•^  thy  own  thoughts,  and  then  thou  wilt  feel  the 
principle  of  God,  to  turn  thy  mind  to  the  Lord  God, 
from  whom  life  comes,  whereby  thou  mayest  receive 
His  strength  and  power  to  allay  all  blustering  storms 
and  tempests.  That  is  it  which  works  up  into  patience, 
into  innocency,  into  soberness,  into  stillness,  into  stayed- 
ness,  into  quietness,  up  to  God  with  His  power.  .  .  . 
Therefore  be  still  awhile  from  thy  own  thoughts, 
searching,  seeking,  desires,  and  imaginations  and  be 
stayed  in  the  principle  of  God  in  thee,  that  it  may  raise 
thy  mind  up  to  God,  and  stay  it  upon  God ;  and  thou 
wilt  find  strength  from  Him,  and  find  Him  to  be  a  God 
at  hand,  a  present  help  in  time  of  trouble  and  need. 

GEORGE  Fox. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

A*\H,  let  my  trembling  soul  be  still, 

^•^     While  darkness  veils  this  mortal  eye, 

And  wait  Thy  wise  and  holy  will, 

Though  wrapt  in  fears  and  mystery ! 
1  cannot,  Lord,  Thy  purpose  see, 
Yet  all  is  well  since  ruled  by  Thee. 

¥ 

XV.       (gob  <J}utcf0  (ttte  3*  JE)tm0eff. 

For  in  the  time  of  trouble,  He  will  hide  me  in  His 
pavilion,  in  the  secret  of  His  tabernacle  He  will 
cover  me.  .  . — Psalm  xocvii.  . 


3  HAVE  seemed  to  see  a  need  of  everything  God  gives 
me,  and  want  nothing  that  He  denies  me.  There 
is  no  dispensation,  though  afflictive,  but  either  in  it  or 
after  it  I  find  I  could  not  be  without  it.  Whether  it 
be  taken  from  or  not  given  me,  sooner  or  later  God 
quiets  me  in  Himself  without  it.  I  cast  all  my  concerns 
on  the  Lord,  and  live  securely  on  the  care  and  wisdom 
of  my  Heavenly  Father.  My  ways  are,  in  a  sense, 
hedged  up  with  thorns,  and  grow  darker  and  darker 
daily;  but  yet  I  distrust  not  my  good  God  in  the  least, 
and  live  more  quietly  in  the  absence  of  all,  by  faith, 
than  I  should  do  if  I  possessed  them.  ANON. 

,  trusting  in  Thy  love,  I  tread 

The  narrow  path  of  duty  on. 

What  though  some  cherished  joys  are  fled; 

What  though  some  flattering  dreams  are  gone ; 
Yet  purer  nobler  joys  remain, 
And  peace  is  won  through  conquered  pain. 

213 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XVI.          Jjog  in  f#e  (Bwpresent 


Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path  of  life ;  in  Thy  pres- 
ence is  fullness  of  joy,  at  Thy  right  hand  there  arc 
pleasures  for  evermore. — Psalm  xvi.  n. 


is  a  virtue  that  may  find  employment  for 
those  retired  hours  in  which  we  are  left  altogether 
to  ourselves  and  destitute  of  company  and  conversation. 
I  mean  that  intercourse  and  communication  which 
every  reasonable  creature  ought  to  maintain  with  the 
great  author  of  its  being.  The  man  who  lives  under  an 
habitual  sense  of  the  Divine  presence  keeps  up  a  per- 
petual cheerfulness  of  temper,  and  enjoys  every  moment 
the  satisfaction  of  thinking  himself  in  company  with 
his  dearest  and  best  of  friends.  The  time  never  lies 
heavy  on  him;  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  be  alone.  He 
no  sooner  steps  out  of  the  world,  but  his  heart  burns 
with  devotion,  swells  with  hope,  and  triumphs  in  the 
consciousness  of  that  presence  which  everywhere  sur- 
rounds him;  or,  on  the  contrary,  pours  out  its  fears, 
its  sorrows,  its  apprehensions  to  the  great  supporter  of 
its  existence.  ADDISON. 

3F  'mid  the  gathering  storms  of  doubt 
Our  hearts  grow  faint  and  cold, 
The  strength  we  cannot  live  without 
Thy  love  will  not  withhold. 

Our  prayers  accept ;  our  sins  forgive ; 
Our  youthful  zeal  renew  ; 
Shape  for  us  holier  lives  to  live, 
And  nobler  work  to  do. 

214 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XVII.  £fc  (Boblg  Borrow. 


I  commune  with  mine  own  heart,  and  my  spirit 
made  diligent  search.  .  .  .  And  I  said,  this  is  mine 
infirmity. — Psalm  Ixxvii.  6,  10- 

If  My  people  which  are  called  by  My  name,  shall 
humble  themselves,  and  pray,  and  seek  My  face  and 
turn  from  their  wicked  ways,  then  will  I  hear  from 
heaven,  and  will  forgive  their  sin,  and  will  iieal  their 
land. — //.  Chronicles  vii.  1. 


completion  and  sum  of  repentance  is  a  change 
of  life.  That  sorrow  which  dictates  no  caution, 
that  fear  which  does  not  quicken  our  escape,  that 
austerity  which  fails  to  rectify  our  affections,  are  vain 
and  unavailing.  But  sorrow  and  terror  must  naturally 
precede  reformation,  for  what  other  cause  can  produce 
it?  He,  therefore,  that  feels  himself  alarmed  by  his 
conscience,  anxious  for  the  attainment  of  a  better  state, 
and  afflicted  by  the  memory  of  his  past  faults,  may 
justly  conclude  that  the  great  work  of  repentance  is 
begun;  he  may  hope,  by  retirement  and  prayer,  the 
natural  and  religious  means  of  strengthening  his  con- 
victions, to  impress  upon  his  mind  such  a  sense  of  the 
Divine  presence  as  may  overpower  the  blandishments 
of  secular  delights,  and  enable  him  to  advance  from 
one  degree  of  holiness  to  another,  till  death  shall  set 
him  free  from  doubt  and  contest,  misery  and  tempta- 
tion. 

215 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

A"\BSERVE  a  pious  fear,  be  whole  again, 
^•^     Hasten  to  purge  thy  heart  of  every  stain ; 
No  more  from  prayer  and  penitence  refrain, 
But  turn  unto  Thy  God  by  day  and  night. 

He  speaks  :  My  child,  yea,  I  will  send  thee  aid ; 
Bend  thou  thy  steps  to  Me ;  be  not  afraid ! 
No  nearer  friend  than  I  am  hast  thou  made ; 

Patiently  wait  the  day  to  which  there  is  no  night. 


XVIII.         £0e     cfcoftn    of  ftffe 


What  man  is  he  that  feareth  the  Lord?  Him 
shall  He  teach  the  way  he  shall  choose. — Psalm 
xxv.  12. 

Before  I  was  afflicted  I  went  astray,  but  now  I 
keep  Thy  commandments. — Psalm  cxix.  67. 


should  not  be  overcome  by  the  evil  day,  nor 
enslaved  by  the  happy  one;  but  should  make 
both  subservient  to  the  higher  purpose  of  our  being — 
this  is  the  great  lesson  which  life  should  teach  us.  Life 
is  a  school  in  which  we  are  exercised  to  deserve  and  use 
wisely  our  good  fortune,  and  to  bear  misfortune  and 
trial  with  fortitude  and  resignation,  and  thus  to  gather 
from  both  the  precious  fruit  of  our  spiritual  and  moral 
freedom.  Self -controlled  in  prosperity,  self-possessed 
in  adversity — in  this  lies  the  moral  value  of  all  our 
vicissitudes.  And  He  is  our  Educator,  and  He  submits 
us  to  His  discipline,  in  whose  hand  rests  the  whole 
earth,  and  who  so  ordaineth  all  things  for  us  that  we 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

may  be  practised  in  the  use  of  our  freedom.  Man  can 
by  the  use  of  that  acquirement  rule  over  nature;  he 
can  resist  the  allurements  of  bodily  gratifications,  and, 
whenever  we  succeed  in  this,  we  advance  our  lasting 
welfare.  We  then  develop  more  and  more  the  image 
of  God  within  us.  We  approach  His  own  freedom. 
We  are  no  longer  His  creatures  only,  but  are  changed 
into  His  children.  And  we  learn  to  worship  Him  not 
only  as  our  Creator,  but  our  Father,  our  Educator  and 
Teacher  for  the  coming  of  a  more  perfect  life  than  the 
present.  SAMUEL  HIRSCH. 

SSIONS  proud  and  fierce  have  ruled  me, 
Fancies  light  and  vain  have  fooled  me, 
But  Thy  training  stern  hath  schooled  me  ; 

Now,  Lord, 

Take  me  for  Thy  child,  O  Lord  ! 
Shine  in  my  heart,  and  bring  me  joy  and  light, 
Sun  of  my  soul  when  dark,  dispel  its  night 

And  shed  in  it  the  truthful  day  abroad, 
And  all  the  many  gloomy  folds  lay  bare 
Within  this  heart,  that  fain  would  lean?,  to  bear 
The  pure  and  glorious  likeness  of  its  Lord. 


XIX.         £0c  (punishment  of  (ginger. 


Cursed  be  their  anger,  for  it  was  fierce,  and  their 
wrath  for  it  was  cruel.  —  Genesis  xlix.  7. 


dying  patriarch's  reproof  is  regarded  by  the  Rab- 
bis as  a  general  condemnation  of  anger ;  and  they 
maintain  that  when  a  wise  man  gives  way  to  it,  his  wis- 


217 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

dom  forthwith  leaves  him,  and  when  a  prophet  succumbs 
to  it,  his  prophetic  gift  departs  from  him.  For  even  a 
Moses,  overpowered  by  anger,  broke  the  tables  of  the 
Covenant  that  he  had  received  from  God,  and  an  Elisha 
had  to  be  soothed  with  the  music  of  the  harp  before 
he  could  prophesy.  By  anger  the  great  are  degraded, 
and  it  may  cause  the  pious  to  manifest  contempt  for 
the  Deity.  And  with  the  same  deep  earnestness  as  the 
patriarch  showed  a  Teacher  says:  "  He  that  gives  way  to 
anger  is  governed  by  hell  and  all  its  terrors."  Kohe- 
leth  says:  "  Anger  rests  in  the  bosom  of  fools;  "  and  the 
poet  of  Job  proclaims:  "  Anger  causes  the  death  of 
fools."  Sirach  teaches:  "A  furious  man  cannot  be 
justified,  for  the  sway  of  his  fury  shall  be  his  destruc- 
tion." 

"  To  those  that  err  in  judgment,  not  in  will, 
We  should  be  gentle  in  our  anger.  G.  G. 

f^ORD.  sure  Thy  countenance  is  here, 
^t     Thy  spirit  all  the  earth  informs  ; 
Whatever  of  my  inward  sphere 

Remains  to  tell  of  angry  storms, 
Oh,  let  it  melt  away,  and  leave 
No  clouds  to  darken  life's  calm  eve. 


XX.          ^eaf  (Up  ffle 


He  that  hath  no  rule  over  his  own  heart  is  like  a 
city  that  is  broken  down  and  without  walls.  —  Proverbs 
xxv.  28. 

si8 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Make  no  friendship  with  an  angry  man,  and  with 
a  furious  man  thou  shall  not  go,  lest  thou  learn  his 
way  and  get  a  snare  to  thy  soul. — Proverbs  xxii. 
24,  23. 


3F  anger  arise  in  thy  breast,  instantly  seal  up  thy  lips, 
and  let  it  not  go  forth:  for,  like  a  fire  when  it 
wants  vent,  it  will  suppress  itself.  It  is  good  in  a  fever 
to  have  a  tender  and  smooth  tongue;  but  it  is  better 
that  it  be  so  in  anger:  for  if  it  be  rough  and  distem- 
pered, there  it  is  an  ill  sign,  but  here  it  is  an  ill  cause. 
Angry  passion  is  like  a  fire,  and  angry  words  are  like 
breath  to  fan  them;  together  they  are  like  steel  and 
flint,  sending  out  fire  by  mutual  collision. 

JEREMY  TAYLOR. 

EFINE  and  purge  our  earthly  parts, 
But  O,  inflame  and  fire  our  hearts, 
Our  frailties  help,  our  vice  control ; 
Submit  the  senses  to  the  soul, 
And  when  rebellious  they  have  grown, 
Then  lay  Thy  hand  and  hold  them  down. 

Chase  from  our  minds  the  tempting  foe, 
And  peace,  the  fruit  of  love,  bestow ; 

And  lest  our  feet  should  step  astray, 

Protect  and  guide  us  in  the  way ; 
Make  us  eternal  truths  receive, 
And  practice  all  that  we  believe. 


019 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XXI. 


And  they  that  love  the  Lord  shall  be  as  the  sun 
when  he  goeth  forth  in  his  might. — Judges  v.  ji. 


is  the  description,  says  the  Talmud,  of  those 
that  suffer  insult,  and  do  not  return  it,  and  bear 
injuries  without  venging  themselves;  also  of  those  that 
follow  the  law  from  the  love  thereof,  and  whom  no 
suffering  can  make  doubt  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
God.  For  there  follows  in  the  text:  "And  the  land 
had  peace  for  forty  years."  This  is  a  symbol  of  the  in- 
ternal peace  that  is  the  portion  of  the  God-fearing  man; 
because  he  restrains  the  storms  of  passions  within  him ; 
his  moral  strength  is  like  the  glory  of  the  sun,  which  no 
earthly  changes  can  affect. 

Similar  in  spirit  is  the  maxim :  Range  thyself  always 
with  the  persecuted,  never  with  the  persecutor;  for 
behold !  none  among  birds  are  more  persecuted  than 
the  doves,  and  yet  these  does  the  Law  demand  so 
largely  for  altar  gifts. 

Likewise  the  Law  ordained  that  the  altar  should  be 
built  of  unhewn  stones.  "  If  thy  iron  hath  touched  it, 
then  hast  thou  defiled  it."  Of  iron  is  forged  the  sword; 
the  deadly  weapon  brings  strife  and  death  and  destruc- 
tion to  men.  But  the  altar's  purpose  is  to  foster  peace 
between  man  and  his  neighbor,  as  well  as  between  man 
and  his  heavenly  Father.  AUGUST  WUENSCHE, 

After  the  Talmud. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

'LAD  with  Thy  light,  and  glowing  with  Thy  love, 

So  let  me  ever  speak  and  think,  and  move, 
As  fits  a  soul  new  touched  with  life  from  heaven, 
That  seeks  but  so  to  order  all  her  course 
As  most  to  show  the  glory  of  that  source 

By  whom  her  strength,  her  hope,  her  life  are  given. 


XXII. 


The  meek  will  He  guide  in  judgment,  the  lowly 
will  He  show  His  way. — Psalm  xxv.  g. 

The  meek  shall  increase  their  joy  in  the  Lord,  and 
the  lowly  amongst  men  shall  rejoice  in  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel, — Tsaiah  xxix.  iq. 


INE  steps  of  morality  must  man  have  ascended  ere 
he  can  reach  the  tenth,  Humility.  Then  only  can 
he  shew  the  highest  reverence  to  God;  then  only  can 
he  receive  revelations.  When  Humility  goes  hand  in 
hand  with  Mercy  and  Charity,  it  is  the  greatest  orna- 
ment of  the  Israelite.  It  is  a  faithful  companion  by 
his  side,  that  helps  him  to  bear  with  patience  the 
severest  trials. 

As  long  as  the  Temple  stood,  he  that  brought  a  burnt 
offering  received  his  reward  therefor.  But  he  that  is 
of  the  true  humble  spirit  is  considered  in  Holy  Writ  as 
one  who  has  bought  all  the  prescribed  offerings. 

Yea,  they  that  bow  down  in  humility,  them  will  God 
lift  up;  and  they  that  are  proud,  them  will  God  humble; 
and  he  that  runs  after  distinctions  shall  see  them  flee 
from  him. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Be  not  as  the  upper  lintel,  so  high  that  but  few  can 
reach  it;  nor  as  the  side  post,  against  which  men  injure 
themselves;  be  rather  like  the  threshold,  lying  low 
indeed,  but  firm  and  secure,  even  if  the  whole  house 
fall  down. 

Hillel's  favorite  maxim  was,  "  My  humility  is  my 
greatness,  and  my  greatness  is  my  humility." 

Seat  thyself  lower  in  the  assembly  than  is  thy  right, 
and  wait  until  thou  art  called ;  then  go  up  but  no  higher 
than  to  thy  rightful  place.  It  is  better  to  hear:  come 
up,  come  up !  than :  go  down,  go  down ! 

THE  PHARISEES. 

3N  the  deed  that  no  man  knoweth, 
Where  no  praiseful  trumpet  bloweth, 
Where  he  may  not  reap  who  soweth, 

There,  Lord, 
Let  my  heart  serve  Thee,  O  Lord. 


XXIII. 

Thou  wilt  light   my  candle,  the  Lord,  my  God, 
will  enlighten  my  darkness. — Psalm  xviii.  28. 

When  I  consider  how  my  light  is  spent, 

Ere  half  my  days,  in  this  dark  world  and  wide, 

And  that  one  talent  which  is  death  to  hide 

Lodged  with  me  useless,  though  my  soul  more  bent 

To  serve  therewith  my  Maker,  and  present 

My  true  account,  lest  He  returning  chide, — 

"  Doth  God  exact  day-labor,  light-denied  ?  " 

I  fondly  ask ;  but  patience,  to  prevent 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

That  murmur,  soon  replies :  "  God  doth  not  need 
Either  man's  work  or  his  own  gifts ;  who  best 
Bear  His  mild  yoke,  they  serve  Him  best ;  His  state 
Is  kingly.     Thousands  at  His  bidding  speed, 
And  post  o'er  land  and  ocean  without  rest ; 
They  also  serve  who  only  stand  and  wait." 

JOHN  MILTON. 


,  and  misfortunes,  and  want,  and  pain,  and 
injury,  are  more  or  less  the  certain  lot  of  every 
man  that  cometh  into  the  world.  It  behooveth  thee, 
therefore,  O  child  of  calamity,  early  to  fortify  thy  mind 
with  courage  and  patience,  that  thou  mayest  support, 
with  a  becoming  resolution,  thy  allotted  portion  of 
human  evil.  As  the  camel  beareth  labor,  and  heat, 
and  hunger,  and  thirst,  through  deserts  of  sand,  and 
fainteth  not,  so  the  fortitude  of  a  man  shall  sustain 
him  through  all  perils.  A  noble  spirit  disdain eth  the 
malice  of  fortune ;  his  soul  is  not  to  be  cast  down  by  it. 
He  hath  not  suffered  his  happiness  to  depend  on  her 
smiles,  and,  therefore,  with  her  frowns  he  shall  not  be 
dismayed.  Under  the  pressure  of  misfortunes,  his 
calmness  alleviates  their  weight,  and  his  constancy 
shall  surmount  them.  ANONYMOUS. 

f^  E ANING  on  Him,  make  with  reverent  meekness, 

His  own  thy  will, 

And  with  strength  from  Him  shall  thy  utter  weakness 
Life's  task  fulfill. 

823 


•SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXIV.  £0e  TEorfb's  Censure  a  (Cleans  of  (grace. 

Surely  He  hath  borne  our  griefs  and  carried  our 
sorrows  ;  yet  we  did  esteem  Him  stricken,  smitten  of 
God,  and  afflicted.  .  .  .  He  was  oppressed  and 
He  was  afflicted,  yet  He  opened  not  His  mouth. — 
Isaiah  liii.  4,  7. 


a  man's  failings  are  spoken  of,  let  him  give  God 
thanks  for  putting  this  humiliation  on  him  for  the 
amendment  of  his  ways,  if  they  need  it.  But  if  he  is 
surely  convinced  that  they  need  it  not  in  that  wherein 
they  blame  him,  let  him  after  all  remember  that  what- 
soever he  be,  he  is  but  imperfect  compared  with  what 
is  required  of  him. 

The  humble  man  seeks  not  revenge  for  injuring 
treatment,  but  bears  it  with  unruffled  temper.  When 
his  conscience  tells  him  that  he  has  offended  against  his 
brother-man,  he  confesses  the  wrong. 

Let  none  of  thy  failings  appear  small  or  trifling  in 
thine  own  eyes;  repent  and  atone  for  all  before  thy 
light  is  quenched,  before  thy  soul  is  required  of  thee, 
before  the  book  of  thy  deeds  is  opened  for  judgment. 

ELEAZAR   BEN  YEHUDAH, 
(XIII.  Century). 

SS  AILED  by  scandal  and  the  tongue  of  strife, 
His  only  answer  was :  a  blameless  life. 

If  thou  doest  make,  O  righteous  God, 
The  tongues  of  men  Thy  chastening  rod, 
I  will  not  chide,  but  hold  Thee  still 
And  learn  to  do  Thy  holy  will. 

224 


SCW  AND  SHIELD. 


XXV.  £0e  Sning  (pot. 


Thou,  O  God,  hast  proved  us,  Thou  hast  tried  us, 
as  silver  is  tried.  .  .  .  We  went  through  fire  and 
through  water,  but  Thou  broughtest  us  out  into  a 
place  of  enlargement. — Psalm  Ixvi.  10,  12. 


INCE  1  have  designated  righteousness  the  root  of 
the  manifested  activity  of  God  in  the  visible 
world,  every  question,  as  to  the  nature  of  the  soul,  is 
best  referred  back  to  this  source.  I  maintain  that  the 
soul,  from  its  very  nature,  cannot  develop  any  activity 
by  itself;  and  that,  therefore,  it  had  necessarily  to  be 
bound  by  God  to  something  through  the  medium  of 
which  its  activity  could  be  expressed,  thereby  enabling  it 
to  attain  eternal  happiness.  Thus  the  practice  of  pious 
acts  increases  the  light  of  its  being;  which,  on  the  con- 
trary, is  darkened  by  sins.  The  judge  of  these  endeav- 
ors is  that  Rock  of  Worlds  who  knows  all  our  actions. 
Holy  Writ  compares  this  trial  to  the  refinement  of  gold 
and  silver  in  the  furnace,  bringing  to  light  its  purer 
and  truer  worth.  Even  as  it  is  said :  The  fining  pot 
is  for  silver,  and  the  furnace  for  gold,  but  the  Lord 
trieth  the  hearts  (Proverbs  xvii.  3).  And  again:  I,  the 
Lord,  will  bring  the  third  part  through  fire,  and  will 
refine  them  as  silver  is  refined,  and  will  try  them  as 
gold  is  tried;  they  shall  call  on  My  name,  and  I  will 

225 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

hear  them;  I  will  say:  it  is  My  people,  and  they  shall 
say,  the  Lord  is  my  God  (Zechariah  xiii.  9). 

SAADYAH,  THE  GAON. 

(X.  Century). 


,  search  my  soul,  try  every  thought, 
Though  my  own  heart  accuse  me  not 
Of  walking  in  a  false  disguise, 
I  beg  a  trial  of  thine  eyes. 

Does  secret  mischief  lurk  within  ? 
Do  I  indulge  some  secret  sin  ? 
O,  turn  my  feet,  whe'er  I  stray, 
And  lead  me  in  Thy  perfect  way. 


XXVI. 


Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us,  only  to  Thy 
name  be  given  glory  and  honor,  for  Thy  mercy  and 
Thy  truth's  sake.  —  Psalm  cxv.  i. 


never  mere  empty  words;  enter  into  strife 
with  no  man;  place  no  reliance  on  men  of  mock- 
ing lips.  Wrangle  not  with  evil  men.  Cherish  no  too 
fixed  good  opinion  of  thyself,  but  lend  thine  ear  to 
remonstrance  and  reproof.  Be  not  weakly  pleased  at 
demonstrations  of  honor;  strive  not  anxiously  for  dis- 
tinction. Never  let  a  thought  of  envy  of  the  evil-doer 
cross  thy  mind.  .  .  .  Make  peace  whenever  thou 
canst  among  people,  and  lead  them  gently  into  the 
good  and  peaceful  path.  If  the  means  of  thy  support 

226 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

in  life  be  measured  out  scantily  to  thee,  remember 
the  many  things  thou  hast  to  be  thankful  for,  and  that 
suffering  is  a  test  of  piety  and  preparation  for  better 
things  to  come.  But  if  worldly  wealth  be  lent  to  thee, 
exalt  not  thyself  above  thy  poor  brother;  for  both  of 
you  came  naked  into  the  world,  and  will,  at  last,  sleep 
together  in  the  dust. 

ELEAZAR  BEN  YEHUDAH, 

(XIII.  Century). 


thy  work,  but  let  thy  work  praise  thee, 
For  deeds,  not  words,  make  each  man's  memory  stable; 
If  what  thou  dost  is  good,  its  good  all  men  will  see  ; 
Musk  by  its  smell  is  known,  not  by  its  label. 


Thy  glory  shall  my  inspiration  be, 

For  what  I  am,  I  am,  O  God,  through  Thee. 

And  if  of  man  a  word  of  praise  I  won, 

It  was  for  that  which  I  for  Thee  have  done. 


XXVII.  (Unconscious  Worshippers  of  (Bob. 


I  am  sought  of  them  that  asked  not  for  me  ;  I  am 
found  of  them  that  sought  me  not.  —  Isaiah  Ixv.  I. 


CONSIDER  man,  in  his  varied  aspects,  man  of  the 
physical  universe,  man  as  an  intellectual  being, 
man  as  a  moral  factor — you  must  arrive  at  God.  When 
you  have  scaled  this  rung  on  the  ladder  of  metaphysics, 
and  descend  again  back  to  man,  he  appears  not  as  the 

227 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

bubble  of  accident  on  the  ocean  of  time,  not  as  the  pro- 
duction of  a  momentary  whim  in  being,  but  as  the  God- 
willed  and  God-stationed,  God-like  to  rule  the  earth,  to 
serve  the  purposes  which  God  has  writ  across  the  stars 
and  chiselled  with  his  artist  hand  into  the  rocks. 

Without  this  thought  there  can  be  no  ethies.  When 
ethics  is  truly  taught  and  ethics  is  preached,  whether 
God  be  named  or  not,  He  is.  Why  should  I  live  for 
others  ?  Why  should  I  forego  my  pleasures  ?  Because 
I  am  weaker,  perhaps.  But  I  may  supply  my  weak- 
ness by  cunning.  Are  right  and  wrong  merely  matters 
of  results,  not  matters  of  beginnings,  of  "  principles  ?  " 
But  thousand  and  one  considerations  vitiate  the  calcu- 
lation of  the  end.  Society  may  coerce  me  ?  Perhaps  I 
am  more  cunning  than  all  society.  Society  will  punish 
me  ?  Ah,  there  are  a  thousand  and  one  ways  of  escap- 
ing punishment.  War  of  one  against  all,  and  all 
against  one,  is  this  the  ultimate  ?  God  is  within  us ! 
This  thought  alone  gives  dignity  to  man  and  sweep  to 
human  love. 

EMIL  HIRSCH. 


3N  the  peace  of  hearts  at  rest, 
In  the  child  at  mother's  breast, 
In  the  lives  that  now  surround  us, 
In  the  deaths  that  sorely  wound  us : 
Though  we  may  not  understand, 
Father,  we  behold  Thy  hand. 

228 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXVIII.  TJjfof  te  (Most  (prectouo  tn  (ttldn. 

I'  will  praise  Thee  ;  for  I  am  fearfully  and  wonder- 
fully made  ;  marvellous  are  Thy  works,  and  that  my 
soul  knoweth  right  well. — Psalm  cxxxix,  14. 

grandeur  of  man's  nature  turns  all  outward  dis- 
tinction to  insignificance.  His  power  of  intellect, 
of  conscience,  of  love,  of  knowing  God,  of  perceiving 
the  beautiful,  of  acting  on  his  own  mind,  on  outward 
nature  and  on  his  fellow-creatures — these  are  glorious 
prerogatives.  Through  the  vulgar  error  of  undervalu- 
ing what  is  common,  we  are  apt,  indeed,  to  pass  them  by 
as  of  but  little  worth.  But  as  in  the  outward  creation, 
so  in  the  soul,  the  common  is  the  most  precious.  Sci- 
ence and  art  may  invent  splendid  modes  of  illuminating 
the  apartments  of  the  opulent,  but  these  are  all  poor 
and  worthless  compared  with  the  light  which  the  sun 
sends  into  our  windows,  which  he  pours  freely,  impar- 
tially, over  hill  and  valley,  which  kindles  daily  the 
eastern  and  western  sky;  and  so  the  common  lights  of 
reason,  and  conscience,  and  love,  are  of  more  worth 
and  dignity  than  the  rare  endowments  which  give  cel- 
ebrity to  a  few.  CHANNING. 

W  far  from  here  to  heaven  ? 
Not  very  far,  my  friend ; 
A  single  hearty  step 
Will  all  the  journey  end. 
Hold  there  !     Where  runnest  thou  ? 

Know  heaven  is  in  thee ! 
Seekest  thou  for  elsewhere  ? 
His  face  thou'lt  never  see. 

229 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXIX.          (prosperous  (gtbtfemfg. 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  God  of  Israel  : 
As  yet  they  shall  use  this  speech  in  the  land  of  Judah 
and  in  the  cities  thereof  when  I  shall  bring  back  their 
captivity  :  The  Lord  bless  thee,  O  habitation  of  jus- 
tice and  mountain  of  holiness.  .  .  .  For  I  have 
satiated  the  weary  soul,  and  I  have  replenished  every 
sorrowful  soul.  —  Jeremiah  xxxi.  23,  25. 

For  one  man  that  can  stand  prosperity  there  are  a  hundred  that  will 
stand  adversity.  CARLYLE. 


poet  says:  Misery  doth  bravest  mind  abate;  but 
may  not  prosperity  have  the  same  effect  ?  Is  it  so 
rare  that  an  increase  of  wealth  causes  a  decrease  of  faith 
in  the  higher  aims  of  life  ?  that  rising  in  the  social  scale 
is  accompanied  by  a  sinking  into  sensualism,  and  that 
freedom  from  ordinary  cares  leads  to  bondage  to  the 
fashions  of  the  world  ?  If  God,  by  visitations,  as  it 
were,  tries  to  call  us  back  from  our  erring  ways,  should 
we  murmur  at  His  corrections  ?  Should  we  refuse  to 
learn  the  lesson  which  Shakespeare  voiced  : 

His  overthrow  heaped  happiness  on  him  ; 
For  then,  and  not  till  then,  he  felt  himself 
And  found  the  blessedness  of  being  little. 

G.  G. 

COUNT  each  affliction,  whether  light  or  grave, 
God's  messenger  sent  down  to  thee  ;  do  thou 
With  courtesy  receive  him  ;  rise  and  bow  ; 
And  ere  his  shadow  pass  thy  threshold,  crave 
Permission  first  his  heavenly  feet  to  lave  • 

330 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Then  lay  before  him  all  thou  hast,  allow 

No  cloud  of  passion  to  usurp  thy  brow, 

Or  mar  thy  hospitality  ;  no  wave 

Of  mortal  tumult  to  obliterate 

The  soul's  marmoreal  calmness  :  grief  should  be 

Like  joy,  majestic,  equable,  sedate  ; 

Confirming,  cleansing,  raising,  making  free  ; 

Strong  to  consume  small  troubles  ;  to  commend 

Great  thoughts,  grave  thoughts,  thoughts  lasting  to  the  end. 

AUBREY  DE  VERB. 
¥ 


XXX.   £0c  (gtrftftcet  o 


Great  in  counsel,  and  mighty  in  work,  Thine  eyes 
are  open  to  all  the  ways  of  the  sons  of  men,  to  give 
everyone  according  to  his  ways  and  after  the  fruit  of 
his  doing.  —  Jeremiah  xxxii.  ig. 


AN  is  the  artificer  of  his  own  happiness.  Let  him 
beware  how  he  complains  of  the  disposition  of 
circumstances,  for  it  is  his  own  disposition  he  blames. 
If  this  be  sour,  or  that  rough,  or  the  other  steep,  let 
him  think  if  it  be  not  his  work.  If  his  look  curdles  all 
hearts,  let  him  not  complain  of  a  sour  reception;  if  he 
hobble  in  his  gait,  let  him  not  complain  of  the  rough- 
ness of  the  way ;  if  he  is  weak  in  his  knees,  let  him  not 
call  the  hill  steep.  This  was  the  pith  of  the  inscription 
on  the  wall  of  a  Swedish  inn,  "  You  will  find  at  Trol- 
hate  excellent  bread,  meat,  and  wine,  provided  you 
bring  them  with  you." 

H.  D.  THOREAU. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD 

RABIA.* 

OUND  holy  Rabia's  suffering  bed 

The  wise  men  gathered,  gazing  gravely— 
"  Daughter  of  God  !  "  the  youngest  said, 

"  Endure  thy  Father's  chastening  bravely ; 
They  who  have  steeped  their  souls  in  prayer, 
Can  every  anguish  calmly  bear." 

She  answered  not,  and  turned  aside, 

Though  not  reproachfully  nor  sadly ; 
"  Daughter  of  God  !  "  the  eldest  cried, 

"  Sustain  thy  Father's  chastening  gladly ; 
They  who  have  learned  to  pray  aright, 
From  pain's  dark  well  draw  up  delight." 

Then  spake  she  out — "  Your  words  are  fair ; 

But,  oh,  the  truth  lies  deeper  still ; 
I  know  not,  when  absorbed  in  prayer, 

Pleasure  or  pain,  or  good  or  ill ; 
They  who  God's  face  can  understand, 
Feel  not  the  workings  of  His  hand." 

From  "  Palm  Leaves"  by  LORD  HoUGHTON. 


*  A  holy  Arabian  woman,  who  lived  in  the  second  century  of  the  Hegira. 


93* 


It  is  not  good  that  man  should  be  alone. — Genesis 

a.  is. 

That  which  is  not  good  for  the  hive,  is  not  good 
for  the  bees. —  The  Stoics. 

The  light  for  one  man  is  a  light  for  a  hundred. — 
The  Pharisees. 


233 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


I.  Jgeeft  (peace,  anb  (pursue  it 


And  Abram  said  unto  Lot :  Let  there  be  no  strife, 
I  pray  thee,  between  me  and  thee,  between  my  herds- 
men and  thy  herdsmen;  for  we  be  brethren. — Genesis 
xiii.  8. 

The  perfection  of  all  the  blessings  of  God  is  Peace. 
—  The  Pharisees. 


,  my  dear  friends,  you  who  are  letting  miserable 
misunderstandings  run  on  from  year  to  year, 
meaning  to  clear  them  up  some  day;  you  who  are  keep- 
ing wretched  quarrels  alive  because  you  cannot  quite 
make  up  your  mind  that  now  is  the  day  to  sacrifice  your 
pride  and  kill  them ;  you  who  are  passing  men  sullenly 
upon  the  street,  not  speaking  to  them  out  of  some  silly 
spite,  and  yet  knowing  that  it  would  fill  you  with 
shame  and  remorse  if  you  heard  that  one  of  those  men 
were  dead  to-morrow  morning;  you  who  are  letting 
your  neighbor  starve,  till  you  hear  that  he  is  dying  of 
starvation;  or  letting  your  friend's  heart  ache  for  a 
word  of  appreciation  or  sympathy,  which  you  mean  to 
give  him  some  day — if  you  could  only  know,  and  see, 
and  feel,  all  of  a  sudden,  that  "  the  time  is  short,"  how 
it  would  break  the  spell !  How  you  would  go  instantly 
and  do  the  thing  which  you  might  never  have  another 
chance  to  do. 

PHILLIPS  BROOKS. 

^OVINGLY  to  each  other  sun  and  moon  give  place, 

^i     Else  were  the  mighty  heaven  for  them  too  narrow  space. 

235 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
II. 


Guard  thy  tongue  from  speaking  ill,  and  thy  lips 
from  speaking  guile ;  depart  from  evil  and  do  good, 
seek  peace  and  pursue  it. — Psalm  xxxiv.  13,  14. 


(YJEGARDING  slander  it  is  written,  that  there  is 
^  none,  nay,  not  one,  who  is  quite  free  from  this 
sin;  and,  if  there  be  found  one  who  is  not  chargeable 
with  slander  direct,  then  surely  with  what  the  Talmud 
calls  "  Dust  of  Slander,"  that  is:  the  speaking  of  things 
which  cause  slander.  Even  in  praising  men  be  mode- 
rate; for  excess  of  praise  provokes  blame  and  the 
mention  of  faults.  Yet  do  not  withhold  recognition 
from  those  to  whom  it  is  due.  A  wise  man  said  that  he 
found  reason  for  honoring  almost  every  one  he  knew. 
Of  the  famed  he  said  to  himself :  they  surely  have  done 
more  good  and  borne  more  burdens  than  I ;  of  the  rich : 
they  have  given  more  in  charity  than  I ;  of  the  young : 
there  is  more  of  the  innocence  of  childhood  in  them 
than  in  me ;  of  the  learned :  I  must  pay  him  the  respect 
due  to  teacher  from  pupil.  He  was  rewarded  for 
his  consideration  with  the  love  and  confidence  of  his 
fellow-men;  he  was  enabled  to  achieve  much  good  in 
his  lifetime,  and  he  finally  passed  away  at  peace  with 
all  men. 

FROM  THE  TESTAMENT  OF  JEHUDAH  BEN  ASHER. 

The  slanderous  tongue  shoots  its  arrows  at  Jerusa- 
lem, and  causes  wounds  at  Rome. 

THE  PHARISEES. 

236 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

III. 


For  I  will  restore  health  unto  thee  and  I  will  heal 
thee  of  thy  wounds,  saith  the  Lord;  because  they 
called  thee  an  outcast,  saying  :  This  is  Zion,  whom  no 
man  seeketh  after  ;  behold  !  I  will  bring  again  the 
captivity  of  Jacob's  tents,  and  have  mercy  on  his 
dwelling-places.  —  Jeremiah  xxx.  77,  18. 


ought  to  be  no  outcasts.  To  be  an  outcast 
at  all  is  almost  to  turn  a  man  or  woman  into  a 
devil.  To  be  an  outcast,  to  know  how  one  is  looked 
down  upon,  shunned  and  loathed  by  the  so-called  good 
and  respectable,  is  to  kindle  within  a  human  soul  the 
worst  passions  of  the  wild  beast.  You  have  never  tried 
it,  never  known  what  it  is  to  be  shuddered  at  and 
shrunk  from  as  a  pestilent  thing.  You  cannot  have  the 
faintest  idea  of  its  misery  or  of  the  depth  of  evil  which 
such  a  feeling  inspires — especially  when  it  is  felt  to  be 
partly  deserved.  No  wonder  it  drives  the  tainted  flock 
together  in  a  new  bond  of  infamy  and  hatred  of  all  that 
is  good.  No  wonder  it  leads  to  gross  intemperance  and 
other  forms  of  vice,  and  to  still  grosser  shamelessness 
and  loss  of  every  vestige  of  self-respect.  And  few 
there  are  who  ever  contemplate  the  awful  danger  to 
society  thus  brought  on  by  society's  dainty  and  cruel 
contempt.  Very  few  are  aware  that  the  presence  of 
such  classes,  bereft  of  all  human  care  and  sympathy,  is 
a  horrible  volcano  which  one  day  will  burst  in  fury 
over  our  boasted  civilization.  But  unless  the  plague  be 
stayed,  the  catastrophe  will  fall.  CHARLES  VOYSEY. 

237 


SUN  AND   SHIELD, 


gently  to  the  erring  one 
And  let  us  not  forget, 
However  darkly  stained  by  sin, 

He  is  our  brother  yet; 
Heir  of  the  same  inheritance, 

Child  of  the  self-same  God  ; 
He  has  but  stumbled  in  the  path 

We  have  in  weakness  trod. 
Forget  not,  thou  hast  often  sinned, 

And  sinful  yet  must  be  ; 
Deal  gently  with  the  erring  one, 

As  God  has  dealt  with  thee. 


IV-  3*  ^orrotP,  Qtof  in 

All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray;   we  have 
turned  everyone  to  his  own  way.  —  Isaiah  liii.  6. 

HE  little  I  have  seen  of  the  world  and  know  of  the 
history  of  mankind  teaches  me  to  look  upon  the 
errors  of  others  in  sorrow,  not  in  anger.  When  I  take 
the  history  of  one  poor  heart  that  has  sinned  and  suf- 
fered, and  represent  to  myself  the  struggles  and  temp- 
tations it  has  passed  —  the  brief  pulsations  of  joy  —  the 
feverish  inquietude  of  hope  and  fear  —  the  tears  of 
regret  —  the  feebleness  of  purpose  —  the  pressure  of 
want  —  the  desertion  of  friends  —  the  scorn  of  the  world 
that  has  little  charity  —  the  desolation  of  the  soul's 
sanctuary  and  threatening  voices  from  within  —  health 
gone  —  happiness  gone  —  even  hope,  that  stays  with  us 
longest,  gone  —  I  have  little  heart  for  aught  else  than 
thankfulness  that  it  is  not  so  with  me,  and  would  fain 

238 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

leave  the  erring  soul  of  my  fellow-men  with  Him  from 
whose  hands  it  came. 

LONGFELLOW. 

A"\  PRAY  for  all  the  poor  besides  : 
^•^     The  prisoner  in  his  cell  ; 
And  those  who  in  the  city  wide 

With  crime  and  misery  dwell  ; 
And  for  the  sage  who  thinks  and  dreams, 
For  him  who  impiously  blasphemes 

Religion's  holy  law, 
Pray  thou  —  for  prayer  is  infinite, 
Thy  faith  may  give  the  scorner  light, 

Thy  prayer  forgiveness  draw. 


V. 


And  Joseph's  brethren  said  to  him  :  We  pray  thee, 
forgive  the  trespass  of  the  servants  of  the  God  of  thy 
father.  And  Joseph  wept  when  they  spake  unto  him, 
and  he  said  :  Fear  not  !  for  am  I  in  the  place  of  God  ? 
I  will  nourish  you  and  your  little  ones  ;  and  he  com- 
forted them,  and  spake  kindly  unto  them.  —  Genesis  I. 
17-21. 


not  the  sun  in  Capricorn  (when  the  days  are 
shortest),  go  down  upon  thy  wrath,  but  write  thy 
wrong  in  ashes.  Draw  the  curtain  of  night  upon  injur- 
ies; shut  them  up  in  the  tower  of  oblivion;  and  let 
them  be  as  though  they  had  not  been.  To  forgive  our 
enemies,  yet  hope  that  God  will  punish  them,  is  not  to 


239 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

forgive  enough.  To  forgive  them  ourselves,  and  not 
to  pray  God  to  forgive  them,  is  a  partial  act  of  charity. 
Forgive  thine  enemies  totally,  and  without  any  reserve. 

SIR  THOMAS  BROWN. 

He  that  cannot  forgive  others  breaks  down  the 
bridge  over  which  he  must  pass  himself;  for  every  man 
has  need  to  be  forgiven. 

3N  peace  with  all  the  world  we  live, 
Nor  let  our  angry  passions  burn, 
But  when  we  suffer  we'll  forgive, 
And  good  for  evil  we'll  return. 

And  we'll  forgive  and  we'll  forget, 

And  conquer  every  sullen  word, 
Unkindness  shall  with  love  be  met, 

And  evil  overcome  with  good. 


VI.    ©oing  (Uoob  TEif  flout  £dumng  ^rm. 

Bring  the  poor  that  are  cast  out  to  thy  house  . 
when  thou  seest  the  naked,  cover  him  ;  hide  not  thy- 
self from  thine  own  flesh.  —  Isaiah  Iviii.  7. 

Receive  the  poor  among  the  children  of  thine  own 
household.  —  The  Pharisees. 


only  way  in  which  we  can  help  men  and  women, 
in  the  long  run,  is  to  help  them  to  be  men  and 
women.  If  we  cannot  make  them  self-supporting,  we 
cannot  see  them  starve,  I  suppose;  but  yet  we  have 


240 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

done  them  no  real  good  until  we  have  taught  them  to 
stand  on  their  feet,  and  to  conquer  their  conditions  for 
themselves.  It  is  time  that  society  should  be  organized 
in  such  a  way  that  we  shall  at  least  give  these  people 
an  opportunity,  give  them  a  chance  in  their  fight  for 
life.  But  there  is  only  a  little  that  we  can  do.  We 
can  give  them  the  inspiration  of  hope,  we  can  give 
them  the  hand-clasp  of  our  sympathy,  we  can  give 
them  an  example.  Let  me  make  this  real.  One  of  the 
best  things  we  can  do  for  the  poor  is  to  teach  them,  by 
our  example,  that  we  believe  that  manhood  is  more 
than  money,  and  so  teach  them,  what  we  believe  to  be 
the  best  thing  in  the  world  as  within  their  reach.  We 
sow  discontent  broadcast  so  long  as  we  make  the  per- 
nicious impression  that  we  believe  money  is  the  most 
important  thing  in  the  world,  and  all  the  while  they  are 
not  able  to  get  it.  But  if  we  live  in  such  a  way  as  to 
show  that  we  really  believe  that  manhood  is  more  than 
money,  then  we  put  hope  in  their  hearts. 

MINOT   J.  SAVAGE. 


thou  for  all  who  living  tread 
Upon  this  earth  of  graves  ; 
For  all  whose  weary  pathway  leads 

Among  the  winds  and  waves  ; 
For  those  who  madly  take  delight 
In  pomp  of  silken  mantle 

Or  other  vain  display  ; 
For  those  who,  laboring,  suffer  still, 
Coming  or  going,  doing  ill, 

Or  on  their  heavenward  way. 

341 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

VII.  $n0efe'  (gtofe. 


For  He  will  give  His  angels  charge  to  guard  thee 
in  all  thy  ways.  — Psalm  xci.  //. 


angel>"  Sa7  the  Rabbis,  "has  only  One 
mission  at  a  time."  The  world  might  be  a 
fitter  place  for  angels'  visits  if  we  possessed  something 
of  this  angelic  concentration,  if  our  sympathies  were 
less  diffuse,  and,  therefore,  stronger;  if  we  gave  our 
hearts  more  fully  to  our  fellows,  if  our  conceit  did  not 
render  us  so  anxious  to  have  a  finger  in  everything, 
while  we  have  a  hand  in  nothing.  Then,  again,  has  it 
ever  struck  you,  how  chary  the  angels  were  of  their 
words  ?  The  angels  of  the  Bible  did  many  wonderful 
things,  but  they  had  very  little  to  say.  They  mostly 
spoke  in  monosyllables;  they  rarely  uttered  two 
sentences  together,  and  when  they  had  done  their 
work,  they  went  without  waiting  for  thanks.  .  .  . 
Men's  words  create  no  angels;  but,  say  the  Rabbis, 
men's  honest  acts  do.  "  Every  deed  well  done  gives 
birth  to  an  angel  who  watches  over  the  doer."  Isaiah's 
angels  had  but  one  voice  to  speak  with,  and  six  wings 
to  fly  with  and  to  act.  What  an  angelic  world  this 
would  be  if  every  one  of  us  did  six  times  as  much  as  he 
said!  ISRAEL  ABRAHAMS. 

JV-OD  deigned  to  man  His  angel  hosts  reveal, 
iO     That  man  might  learn,  like  angels,  to  obey  ; 
And  those  who  long  their  bliss  in  Heaven  to  feel, 
Might  strive  on  earth  to  serve  Him  e'en  as  they. 


242 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


VIII.        £0e  Qpfeabtng  (ttoice  of  (Bob. 


And  David  longed  and  said,  Oh,  that  one  would 
give  me  drink  of  the  water  of  the  well  of  Bethlehem 
which  is  by  the  gate.  And  three  mighty  men  broke 
through  the  host  of  the  Philistines  .  .  .  and  took 
water  and  brought  it  to  David ;  yet  David  would  not 
drink  of  it,  but  poured  it  out  unto  the  Lord.  And  he 
said  :  Be  it  far  from  me  that  I  should  do  this.  Is  not 
this  the  blood  of  the  men  that  went  in  jeopardy  of 
their  lives? — //.  Samuel xxiii,  15,  if. 


[OD  makes  the  voice  of  others'  pain  and  misery  His 
voice,  pleading  with  us  to  remember  those  whom 
He  seems  to  have  forgotten.  Among  all  the  golden 
deeds  of  history,  what  one  do  we  remember  with  more 
admiration  than  that  of  Sir  Philip  Sidney  dying  on  the 
disastrous  field  of  Zutphen,  and  foregoing  the  cup  of 
cold  water  because  another's  necessity  was  greater  than 
his  own  ?  There  is  a  battle  raging  which  has  centuries 
for  its  hours,  and  races  for  its  regiments  and  battalions, 
whose  incidents  are  revolutions  and  reformations,  here 
the  initiation  of  a  new  religion,  there  the  emancipation 
of  a  race.  And  in  this  battle  we  are  soldiers,  each  and 
all;  and,  if  sore  wounded  now  and  then  and  craving  a 
cup  of  water  for  our  thirst,  behold  some  fellow-soldier 
hurt  more  cruelly,  and,  if  we  have  the  knightly  temper, 
there  is  no  other  thing  for  us  to  say  but,  "  His  neces- 
sity is  greater  than  mine,"  no  other  thing  for  us  to  do 
but  to  put  the  proffered  cup  aside. 

JOHN  W.  CHADWICK. 

943 


SUN   AND  SHIELD. 


3S  thy  cruse  of  comfort  wasting  ? 
Rise  and  share  it  with  another, 
And  through  all  the  years  of  famine, 
It  shall  serve  thee  and  thy  brother. 
Is  thy  burden  hard  and  heavy  ? 

Do  thy  steps  drag  heavily  ? 
Help  to  bear  thy  brother's  burden  ; 
God  will  bear  both,  it  and  thee. 


IX.  QBe  anb  (Appear 


And  Boaz  said  unto  Ruth  :  It  hath  fully  been 
shown  to  me  all  that  thou  hast  done  unto  thy  mother- 
in-law  since  the  death  of  thy  husband,  and  how  thou 
hast  left  thy  father  and  thy  mother  and  the  land  of 
thy  nativity,  and  art  come  unto  a  people  thou  knewest 
not  heretofore.  The  Lord  recompense  thy  work,  and 
a  full  reward  be  given  thee  of  the  Lord,  God  of  Israal 
under  whose  wings  thou  hast  come  to  rest. — Ruth  ii, 

lly    12. 

Which  is  the  way  a  man  should  choose?  That 
which  is  honorable  to  himself,  and  causes  no  offence 
to  his  fellow-men. — Chapters  of  the  Fathers. 


3F  to  be  good  is  noble,  to  appear  good  is  profitable. 
Truth  is  better  than  reputation;  but  happiness 
consists  in  the  union  of  the  two.  There  are  thousands 
who  are  pure  and  devoted  to  virtue;  but,  having  no 
care  of  how  their  actions  appear  in  the  eyes  of  the 
observers,  suffer  from  the  attacks  of  the  multitude. 
.  .  .  He  to  whom  God  has  granted  grace  to  be  good 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

and   to   appear   good,   he   is   truly  blessed  and  justly 
honored. 

PHILO  JUDEAUS. 

Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven. 

FROM  THE  SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT. 

@  PALTRY  watch,  in  private  pocket  borne, 
Misleads  but  him  alone  by  whom  'tis  worn  ; 
But  the  town  clock  that  domes  or  towers  display, 
By  going  wrong,  leads  half  the  world  astray. 

¥ 

X. 


The  soul  of  Jonathan  was  knit  with  the  soul  of 
David,  and  Jonathan  loved  him  as  his  own  soul.  — 
/.  Samuel  xviii.  i. 

There  is  a  friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a 
brother.  —  Proverbs  xviii.  24.. 


AV^ANY  men  and  women  suffer  acutely,  especially  in 
^-  their  later  years,  because  they  have  made  no 
friendships,  or  have  lost  those  that  they  once  had  made. 
For  what  does  friendship  mean?  "A  friend,"  says 
Emerson,  ''is  a  person  with  whom  I  maybe  sincere; 
before  him  I  may  think  aloud."  The  Rabbis  said  the 
same  thing.  "  Get  a  companion,"  they  counsel  us,  "  to 
whom  you  can  tell  all  your  secrets."  See  how  this  cuts 
both  ways.  To  a  friend  you  reveal  your  entire  self, 


245 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

but  if  so,  it  cannot  be  an  altogether  bad  one.  You 
would  be  ashamed  to  lay  bare  to  your  friend  an  ugly 
heart,  and  so  your  very  friendship  forces  you  to  make 
your  heart  fair.  The  surest  safeguard  against  conceit, 
against  selfishness,  against  petty  vindictiveness,  against 
all  the  lower  vices,  is  to  have  a  friend  to  whom  you  must 
tell  everything,  before  whom  you  not  only  may,  but 
must  think  aloud. 

ISRAEL  ABRAHAMS. 


you  have  a  friend  worth  loving, 
Love  him.  Yes,  and  let  him  know 

That  you  love  him  ere  life's  evening 
Tinge  his  brow  with  sunset  glow. 

Why  should  good  words  ne'er  be  said 

Of  a  friend  till  he  is  dead  ? 


XL  C0e  (gfgft  (U0e  of  Qpowr. 


The  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the  fullness  thereof; 
the  world  and  they  that  dwell  therein.  —  Psalm  xxiv.  /. 

All  is  in  the  power  of  God  —  save  only  the  fear  of 
God,  this  is  in  the  power  of  man.  —  The  Pharisees. 


proud  cedar  is  felled,  while  the  humble  shrub  is 
left  alone;  fire  ascends  and  goes  out,  water  de- 
scends and  is  not  lost.  Exalt  not  thyself  over  neighbor 
and  brother;  for  so  doing,  thou  givest  provender  to 
hate,  and  the  poor  man,  whom  thou  hast  looked  down 
on,  may  bear  away  the  palm  of  victory  easily  from 
thee. 

246 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

What  a  man  spends  on  the  poor  when  he  is  in  full 
health,  is  gold;  when  sick,  silver;  what  he  provides  for 
them  in  his  last  will,  copper. 

Power  and  wealth,  as  well  as  mental  cleverness,  are 
gifts  of  God;  therefore  let  no  man  glory  because  he 
possesses  them.  The  only  thing  we,  as  free  agents, 
really  possess  in  full  inalienable  right,  is  upright  walk- 
ing in  the  fear  of  God;  and  it  is  because  that  is  so,  that 
we  can  glory  in  the  knowledge  of  God. 

Do  not  struggle  vaingloriously  for  the  small  triumph 
of  showing  thyself  in  the  right,  and  a  wise  man  in  the 
wrong;  thou  art  not  one  wit  the  wiser  therefore. 

JEWISH  MORALISTS  OF  THE  MIDDLE  AGES. 


us  our  blessings  to  improve  ; 
Teach  us  to  serve  Thee  and  to  love 
Exalt  our  hearts  that  we  may  see 
The  Giver  of  all  good  in  Thee  ; 
And  be  Thy  Word  our  daily  food, 
Thy  service,  Lord,  our  greatest  good. 


XII.    (grafting  ffle  Q0e*f  of  <Dne  (&nof0er. 

As  in  water  face  answereth  to  face,  so  the  heart  of 
man  answereth  to  the  heart.  —  Proverbs  xxvii,  79. 


may,  if  we  choose,  make  the  worst  of  one 
another.  Everyone  has  his  weak  points  ;  everyone 
has  his  faults;  we  may  make  the  worst  of  these;  we 
may  fix  our  attention  constantly  upon  these.  But  we 
may  also  make  the  best  of  one  another;  we  may  for- 


247 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

give,  even  as  we  hope  to  be  forgiven.  We  may  put 
ourselves  in  the  place  of  others,  and  ask  what  we 
should  wish  to  be  done  to  us,  and  thought  of  us,  were 
we  in  their  place.  By  loving  whatever  is  lovable  in 
those  around  us,  love  will  flow  back  from  them  to  us, 
and  life  will  become  a  pleasure  instead  of  a  pain;  and 
earth  will  become  like  heaven;  and  we  shall  become 
not  unworthy  followers  of  Him  whose  name  is  Love. 

A.  P.  STANLEY. 

Mankind  is  always  happier  for  having  been  happy;  so 
that  if  you  make  them  happy  now,  you  make  them 
happy  twenty  years  hence  by  the  memory  of  it. 

SIDNEY  SMITH. 

CLCATTER  thus  your  seeds  of  kindness, 
^5r     All  enriching  as  you  go ; 
Leave  them  trust  the  harvest  giver, 
He  will  make  each  seed  to  grow. 
So,  until  its  happy  end, 
Your  life  shall  never  lack  a  friend. 

» 
XIII.          3uetice  QSeforc  Cfotffc. 

On  justice  shall  Jerusalem  be  established,  and 
shall  be  far  from  oppression. — Isaiah  liv.  14. 

That  which  is  altogether  just  shalt  thou  follow, 
that  thou  mayest  live,  and  inherit  the  land  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee. — Deuteronomy  xvi.  20. 


are  perpetually  squabbling  about  what  will 
be  best  to  do,  or  easiest  to  do,  or  advisablest  to  do ; 
but  they  never,  so  far  as  I  hear  them  talk,  ever  ask 

248 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

what  it  is  just  to  do.  And  it  is  the  law  of  heaven  that 
you  shall  not  be  able  to  judge  what  is  wise  or  easy 
unless  you  are  first  resolved  to  judge  what  is  just,  and 
to  do  it. 

Unless  we  perform  Divine  Service  in  every  willing 
act  of  life,  we  never  perform  it  at  all.  The  one  Divine 
work,  the  one  ordered  sacrifice — is  to  do  justice;  and  it 
is  the  last  we  are  ever  inclined  to  do.  Anything 
rather  than  that !  As  much  charity  as  you  choose,  but 
no  justice.  "  Nay,  "you  will  say,  "  charity  is  greater 
than  justice."  Yes,  it  is  greater;  it  is  the  summit  of 
justice — it  is  the  temple  of  which  justice  is  the  founda- 
tion. But  you  cannot  have  the  top  without  the  bottom ; 
you  cannot  build  upon  charity;  you  must  build  upon 
justice,  for  this  main  reason,  that  you  have  not  at  first 
charity  to  build  with.  It  is  the  last  reward  of  good 
work.  Do  justice  to  your  brother  (you  can  do  that 
whether  you  love  him  or  not)  and  you  will  come  to  love 
him.  But  do  injustice  to  him,  because  you  do  not  love 
him,  and  you  will  come  to  hate  him. 

1  JOHN  RUSKIN. 


the  just  man's  memory— 
Let  it  grow 
Greener  with  years,  and  blossom 

Through  the  flight  of  ages, 
And  hold  it  up  to  men,  and  bid  them  claim 
A  palm  like  his,  and  catch  from  him  the  hallowed  flame. 

249 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XIV. 


Not  on  thee,  O  man,  rests  the  responsibility  for 
the  completion  of  the  work  (done  for  God),  but  neither 
art  thou  free  to  withhold  thy  allotted  share  from  it. — 
Chapters  of  the  Fathers. 


question  should  not  be:  Can  we  lay  the  founda- 
tion  for  something  good  ?  Can  we  alone  remedy 
an  abuse  ?  Shall  we  see  the  fruit  of  our  exertions  in 
the  well-being  of  the  state  or  society  ?  No,  all  this  de- 
pends not  on  man ;  it  lies  hidden  in  the  counsel  of  God, 
concealed  in  sacred  and  unfathomable  fate.  But  the 
question  we  can,  nay,  ought  to  ask  ourselves  daily,  is 
this:  Have  I  done  this  day  that  which  according  to  my 
feeling  and  apprehension  appears  the  best — the  best  for 
the  state,  the  best  for  those  with  whom  I  came  in  direct 
contact ;  out  of  these  two  sources  results  also  the  best 
for  ourselves.  Not  what  we  have  attained,  but  what 
we  have  striven  to  attain,  with  the  earnest  employment 
of  all  our  energies,  should  give  us  comfort.  If  we  can 
truly  say,  after  due  self-examination :  "I  have  done 
the  best  I  could  " — this  should  bring  us  contentment 
and  peace. 

GEORGE  FORSTER. 

H AT  you  can  do,  or  dream  you  can,  begin  it ; 
Boldness  has  genius,  power  and  magic  in  it ; 
Only  begin  and  then  the  mind  grows  heated ; 
Begin,  then  the  work  will  be  completed. 

250 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XV.      &0f>e  fcffeeeff  in 


Hear  this,  all  ye  people,  give  ear  all  ye  inhabi- 
tants of  the  earth ;  both  low  and  high,  rich  and  poor 
together. — Psalm  xlix.  /,  2. 


Q^ENEVOLENCE  is  a  duty.  He  who  frequently 
^^  practices  it,  and  sees  his  benevolent  intentions 
realized,  at  length  comes  to  love  him  to  whom  he  has 
done  good.  When,  therefore,  it  is  said,  "Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,"  it  is  not  meant,  thou 
shalt  love  him  first,  and  do  good  to  him  in  consequence 
of  that  love,  but,  thou  shalt  do  good  to  thy  neighbor, 
and  this,  thy  beneficence,  will  engender  in  thee  that 
love  to  mankind  which  is  the  fullness  of  the  inclination 
to  do  good. 

EMANUEL  KANT. 

There  are  few  men  who  are  not  ambitious  of  distin- 
guishing themselves  in  the  nation  or  country  where 
they  live,  and  of  growing  considerable  with  those  with 
whom  they  converse.  There  is  a  kind  of  grandeur  and 
respect  which  the  meanest  and  most  insignificant  part 
of  mankind  endeavor  to  procure  in  the  little  circle  of 
their  friends  and  acquaintances.  The  poorest  mechanic, 
nay,  the  man  who  lives  upon  common  alms,  gets  him 
his  set  of  admirers,  and  delights  in  that  superiority 
which  he  enjoys  over  those  who  are  in  some  respects 
beneath  him.  This  ambition,  which  is  natural  to  the 
soul  of  man,  might,  methinks,  receive  a  very  happy 

251 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

turn,  and,  if  it  were  rightly  directed,  contribute  as 
much  to  a  person's  advantage  as  it  generally  does  to  his 
uneasiness  and  disquiet. 

ADDISON. 

all  the  good  you  can, 

By  all  the  means  you  can, 
In  all  the  ways  you  can, 
In  all  the  places  you  can, 
At  all  the  times  you  can, 
To  all  the  people  you  can, 
As  long  as  ever  you  can. 


XVI.          £0e  (Brace  of  (Wanner*. 

God  giveth  grace  to  the  lowly,  and  the  wise  shall 
inherit  honor. — Proverbs  Hi.  34,  jj*. 


3F  you  wish  to  be  loved,  love  measure.  You  must 
have  genius  or  a  prodigious  usefulness  if  you  will 
hide  the  want  of  measure.  This  perfection  comes  in  to 
polish  and  perfect  the  part  of  the  social  instrument. 
Society  will  pardon  much  to  genius  and  special  gifts, 
but,  being  in  its  nature  a  convention,  it  loves  what  is 
conventional  or  what  belongs  to  coming  together. 
That  makes  the  good  and  bad  of  manners,  namely, 
what  helps  or  hinders  fellowship.  For  fashion  is  not 
good  sense  absolute,  but  relative;  not  good  sense  pri- 
vate, but  good  sense  entertaining  company.  It  hates 
corners  and  sharp  points  of  character,  hates  quarrel- 
as  2 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

some,  egotistical,  solitary,  and  gloomy  people;  hates 
whatever  can  interfere  with  total  blending  of  parties, 
whilst  it  values  all  particularities  as  in  the  highest 
degree  refreshing,  which  can  consist  with  good  fellow- 
ship. 

EMERSON. 

Manners  are  the  shadows  of  virtues ;  the  momentary 
display  of  those  qualities  which  our  fellow-creatures 
love  and  respect.  If  we  strive  then  to  become  what  we 
strive  to  appear,  manners  may  often  be  rendered  useful 
guides  to  the  performance  of  our  duties. 

SIDNEY  SMITH. 

N  simple  manners  all  the  secret  lies, 

Be  kind  and  virtuous,  and  you'll  be  blest  and  wise. 

¥ 

XVII.  £0e  d?ofben  (glean. 

Be  not  righteous  overmuch,  neither  make  thyself 
overwise :  why  shouldest  thou  destroy  thyself. — 
Ecclesiastes  vii.  16. 


Roman  poet  called  him  happy  who  understands 
the  causes  of  events;  equally  so  is  he  who  knows 
and  keeps  the  golden  mean.  "Not  too  much  of  any- 
thing" was  the  famous  saying  of  one  of  the  seven  sages 
of  Greece.  The  Jewish  poet  Emanuel  Romi  applied 
this  rule  to  our  intercourse  with  men: 

Be  not  so  sweet  that  men  devour  thee ; 
Be  not  so  bitter  that  men  spit  thee  out ; 

253 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

And  the  profound  Soloman  Gabirol  writes: 

The  ends  (of  the  magnetic  needle)  are  the  places  of  trembling  fear ; 
the  centre  is  the  place  of  rest  and  firmness. 

In  moral  excellence  there  can  be  excess,  defect  and 
the  mean.  It  is  possible,  f.  i.,  to  feel  the  emotions  of 
fear,  confidence,  lust,  anger,  compassion  and  pleasure 
and  pain,  generally  too  much  or  too  little,  and  in  either 
case  wrongly ;  but  to  feel  them  when  we  ought,  towards 
whom  and  as  we  should  do,  is  the  mean,  or,  in  other 
words,  the  best  state,  and  this  is  the  property  of  virtue. 

ARISTOTLE. 
NE  by  one  thy  duties  wait  thee ; 

Let  thy  whole  strength  go  to  each  ; 
Let  no  future  dreams  elate  thee : 

Learn  thou  first  what  these  can  teach. 


XVIII.  (Kinbfg 


The  words  of  a  wise  man's  mouth  are  gracious  ; 
they  are  heard  for  appeasing.  —  Ecdesiastes  ix.  17. 


IND  words  never  blister  the  tongue  or  lips.  And 
we  never  heard  of  any  mental  trouble  arising  from 
this  quarter.  Though  they  do  not  cost  much,  yet  they 
accomplish  much.  They  help  one's  own  good  nature 
and  good  will.  Soft  words  soften  our  own  soul.  Angry 
words  are  fuel  to  the  flame  of  wrath,  and  make  it  burn 
more  fiercely.  Kind  words  make  other  people  good 


254 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

natured.  Cold  words  freeze  people,  and  hot  words 
scorch  them,  and  bitter  words  make  them  bitter,  and 
wrathful  words  make  them  wrathful.  There  is  such  a 
rush  of  all  other  kind  of  words  in  our  day,  that  it  seems 
desirable  to  give  kind  words  a  chance  among  them.  .  .  . 
Kind  words  also  produce  their  own  image  on  men's 
souls.  And  a  beautiful  image  it  is.  They  soothe,  and 
quiet,  and  comfort  the  hearer.  They  shame  him  out  of 
his  sour,  morose,  unkind  feelings.  We  have  not  yet 
begun  to  use  kind  words  in  such  abundance  as  they 
ought  to  be  used.  BLAISE  PASCAL. 

3F  your  work  is  made  more  easy 
By  a  friendly  helping  hand, 
Say  so.     Speak  out  brave  and  truly 

Ere  the  darkness  veils  the  land. 
Should  a  brother  workman  dear 
Falter  for  a  word  of  cheer  ? 


XIX.       (pure  (Reftgion  anb  (Unbeftfeb. 

Thou,  O  God,  art  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil, 
and  canst  not  look  on  iniquity. — Habakuk  i.  ij. 

Justice  and  judgement  are  the  habitation  of  Thy 
throne ;  mercy  and  truth  shall  go  before  Thy  face. — 
Psalm  Ixxxix.  14, 


t^ET  every  man  be  swift  to  hear,  slow  to  speak,  slow 

to  wrath ;    for  the  wrath  of  man  worketh  not  the 

righteousness  of  God.     If  any  man  among  you  seem  to 

255 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

be  religious,  and  bridleth  not  his  tongue,  but  deceiveth 
his  own  heart,  this  man's  religion  is  vain.  Pure  relig- 
ion and  undefiled  before  God,  the  Father,  is  this:  to 
visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction,  and  to 
keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world.  If  you  fulfill 
the  royal  law  according  to  the  Scriptures:  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,  ye  do  well ;  but  if  ye  have 
respect  to  persons,  ye  commit  sin,  and  are  convinced  of 
the  law  as  transgressors.  The  wisdom  which  is  from 
above  is  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle  and  easy  to 
be  persuaded,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without 
partiality  and  without  hypocrisy. — Epistle  of  James. 

/jfNRIGINAL  of  beings,  Power  Divine  ! 
^•^     Since  that  I  live  and  that  I  think  is  Thine. 
Benign  Creator !   let  Thy  plastic  hand 
Dispose  its  own  effect ;  let  Thy  command 
Restore,  great  Father,  Thy  instructed  son, 
And  in  my  acts,  may  Thy  great  will  be  done. 


XX.     £0e  ConBofofion  o 


But  as  for  me,  I  will  walk  in  my  integrity  ; 

Redeem  me,  and  be  merciful  unto  me.  My  foot 
shall  ever  stand  in  an  even  place  ;  in  the  Congregation 
will  I  bless  the  Lord.  —  Psalm  xxvi.  //,  12. 


the  ear  heard  me,  then  it  blessed  me;  when 
the  eye  saw  me  it  gave  witness  unto  me ;  because 
I  delivered  the  poor  that  cried  to  me,  and  the  fatherless 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

and  him  that  has  none  to  help  him.  The  blessing  of 
him  that  was  ready  to  perish  came  upon  me,  and  I 
made  the  heart  of  the  widow  to  sing  for  joy.  I  put  on 
righteousness,  and  it  clothed  me ;  my  justice  was  as  a 
robe  of  honor  and  a  diadem.  I  was  eyes  to  the  blind, 
and  feet  was  I  to  the  lame.  I  was  a  father  to  the  needy, 
and  their  cause,  which  I  knew  not,  I  searched  out;  and 
so  I  broke  the  jaws  of  the  wicked,  and  plucked  the 
spoil  out  of  their  teeth. 

If  I  have  seen  any  one  perish  for  want  of  clothing,  if 
he  was  not  warmed  with  the  wool  of  my  sheep;  if  I 
have  lifted  up  my  hand  against  the  fatherless  because  I 
saw  my  help  in  the  gate ;  then  let  my  arm  fall  from  my 
shoulder-blade  and  be  broken  from  my  bone. — 

From  Job  xxxix-xxxi. 

tHE  paths  of  virtue  must  be  reached  by  toil, 
Arduous  and  long,  and  on  a  rugged  soil, 
Thorny  the  gate,  but  when  the  top  you  gain, 
Fair  is  the  future,  and  the  prospect  plain. 


XXI.  £0c  (gredfcet  te  feof*. 


Say  not  thou,  I  will  return  evil  for  evil  :  wait  thou 
on  the  Lord  and  He  shall  save  thee.  —  Proverbs  xx. 

22. 


CHOUGH  I  speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of 

angels  and  have  not  love,  I  am  become  a  sounding 

brass  or  a  tinkling  cymbal,  and  though  I  have  the  gift 

357 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

of  prophecy,  and  understand  all  mysteries  and  all 
knowledge ;  and  though  I  have  all  faith,  so  that  I  could 
remove  mountains,  and  have  not  love,  I  am  nothing, 
and  though  I  bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  and 
though  I  give  my  body  to  be  burned,  and  have  no  love, 
it  profiteth  me  nothing.  And  now  abideth:  faith,  hope 
and  love,  these  three ;  but  the  greatest  of  them  is  love. 
— From  the  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians. 


I  have  not  made  gold  my  hope  nor  said  to  fine  gold : 
thou  art  my  confidence.  I  rejoiced  not  at  the  destruc- 
tion of  him  that  hated  me,  nor  lifted  up  myself  when 
evil  found  him.  Neither  have  I  suffered  my  soul  to 
sin  by  wishing  a  curse  to  his  soul.  The  stranger  did 
not  lodge  in  the  street,  but  I  opened  my  door  to  the 
traveller,  yet  did  I  not  cover  my  transgression  as  men 
do  nor  hide  my  iniquity  in  my  bosom.  Neither  did  I 
fear  a  great  multitude  or  was  terrified  by  the  contempt 
of  families. —  From  Job,  xxxi. 


PARSES,  justice  ever  be  thy  guide ; 

May  malice  never  gain  upon  thy  will, 
Malice  that  makes  the  wretch  more  wretched  still. 
The  good  man,  injured,  to  revenge  is  slow ; 
To  him  the  vengeance  is  the  greater  woe. 
Ever  will  injurious  courses  fail, 
And  justice  ever  over  wrong  prevail. 

258 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXII. 


Woe  unto  them  that  rise  up  early  in  the  morning 
that  they  may  follow  strong  drink ;  who  continue  un- 
til night,  till  wine  inflame  them !  And  the  harp  and 
the  viol,  the  tabret  and  the  flute,  and  the  wine  are  in 
their  feasts ;  but  they  regard  not  the  work  of  the  Lord, 
neither  consider  the  operation  of  His  hands. — Isaiah 


3N  regard  to  temperance  in  the  use  of  strong  drinks 
the  Jew  is  a  law  unto  himself;  perhaps  it  is  more 
correct  to  say :  his  religion  made  him  so.  He  does  not 
wait  for  the  civic  law  to  keep  him  sober.  Total  absti- 
nence, which  we  should  always  treat  respectfully,  springs 
from  a  loathing  of  the  poisoned  cup  which  destroys  its 
thousands  and  ten  thousands.  But,  as  in  the  days  of 
Egypt's  judgment,  the  plague  has  not  entered  the  Jew's 
home;  he  "  does  not  fear  the  wine  because  it  is  red." 
The  genius  of  our  religion  is  anti-ascetic.  It  looks 
with  no  friendly  eye  upon  the  Nazirite,  and  treats 
him  more  like  a  sinner  than  a  saint,  as  he  seems  to 
need  extra  bridles  to  tame  his  fleshly  appetites.  Keep- 
ing other  and  longer  fasts  than  the  law  ordains,  the 
Talmud  hesitates  not  to  stigmatize  as  foolish  piety;  it 
is  more  meritorious,  say  the  masters,  to  offer  God  a 
hundred  benedictions  every  day  for  blessings  enjoyed, 
than  to  smite  the  breast  and  weary  the  tongue  with 
penitential  lamentations.  But,  although  not  altogether 
approving  of  total  abstinence,  we  Jews  are,  nevertheless 

359 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

on  the  same  side  of  the  problem  ;  we  assist  its  solution 
in  our  own  way.  Our  vow  of  faithfulness  to  the 
covenant  includes  all  that  is  truly  beneficial  in  the 
pledge  of  the  abstainer.  G.  G. 


weave  in  the  web  of  life 
>O^     A  bright  and  golden  filling, 
And  to  do  God's  Will  with  a  ready  heart 

And  hands  that  are  swift  and  willing, 
Than  to  snap  the  tender  and  delicate  threads 

Of  our  curious  life  asunder, 
And  then  blame  heaven  for  the  tangled  ends 

And  sit,  and  grieve,  and  wonder. 

* 

XXIII.  £0e  (Brines*  of  fetftfe  gQingc. 

Blessed  are  they  that  keep  judgment  ;  and  they  that 
do  righteousness  at  all  times.  —  Psalm  cvi.  j. 

Every  man  shall  give  as  he  is  able  according  to  the 
blessing  of  the  Lord,  thy  God,  which  he  hath  given 
thee.  —  Deut.  xvi.  i. 


|R.  JOHNSON  wisely  said:  "  He  who  waits  to  do 
a  great  deal  of  good  at  once  will  never  do  any- 
thing." Life  is  made  up  of  little  things.  It  is  but 
once  in  an  age  that  occasion  is  offered  for  a  great  deed. 
True  greatness  consists  in  being  great  in  little  things. 
How  are  railways  built  ?  By  one  shovelful  of  dirt  after 
another ;  one  shovelful  at  a  time.  »  Thus  drops  make  the 
ocean.  Hence  we  should  be  willing  to  do  a  little  good 
at  a  time,  and  never  "  wait  to  do  a  great  deal  of  good 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

at  once."  If  we  would  do  much  good  in  the  world  we 
must  be  willing"  to  do  good  in  little  things,  little  acts, 
one  after  another,  speaking  a  word  here,  giving  a  tract 
there,  and  setting  a  good  example  at  all  times;  we  must 
do  the  first  good  thing  we  can,  and  then  the  next,  and 
the  next,  and  so  keep  on  doing.  This  is  the  way  to  accom- 
plish anything.  Thus  only  shall  we  do  all  the  good  in 
our  power.  ANONYMUS. 

UR  life  is  but  the  twinkle  of  a  star 

In  God's  eternal  day.     Obscure  and  dim 
With  mortal  clouds,  it  yet  may  beam  for  Him. 
And  darkened  here,  shine  fair  to  spheres  afar. 
I  will  be  patient,  lest  my  sorrow  bar 

His  grace  and  blessing,  and  I  fall  supine ; 
In  my  own  hands  my  want  and  weakness  are, 
My  strength,  O,  God !  is  Thine. 

¥ 

XXIV.     Consummation  of  t0e 

One  generation  goes,  and  another  generation  com- 
eth,  but  the  earth  abideth  always. — Ecclesiastes  i.  4. 


ftET  us  not  forget  that  it  is  not  only  great  thoughts 
and  great  men  that  the  past  needs  for  its  consum- 
mation ;  it  is  that  power  and  consecration  which  come 
from  every  individual  life.  These  great  forces  of  love 
and  justice  and  truth  are  not  committed  to  a  few  alone ; 
they  are  committed  to  us  all.  They  are  the  forces  by 
which  God  means  to  finish  this  world. 

Some  of  this  force  is  given  to  you.     It  is  the  love  in 

261 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

your  heart,  the  righteousness  which  may  work  through 
your  conscience,  the  truth  which  may  illuminate  your 
intellect.  And  every  time  you  help  to  speed  the  truth, 
every  time  you  give  a  nobler  moral  judgment  than  the 
conventional  standard  of  morality,  every  time  you  over- 
come the  spirit  of  hate  with  the  spirit  of  love,  you  are 
helping  God  to  finish  his  world.  Do  not  stand  in  the 
way  of  these  forces;  do  not  obstruct  them.  Let  them 
work  in  you  and  through  you.  You  have  not  created 
them,  but  you  may  learn  to  apply  them.  It  may  not 
be  yours  to  announce  a  new  discovery,  to  proclaim  an 
invention,  to  lead  the  world  to  the  victories  of  peace, 
but  you  may  put  a  nail  in  here,  a  brick  in  there  —  you 
may  help  to  finish  what  some  other  life  has  begun. 

SAM.  T.   BARROWS. 

^VjOULDST  thou  from  sorrow  find  a  sweet  relief? 
*"      Or  in  thy  heart,  oppressed  with  woes  untold, 
Balm  wouldst  thou  gather  for  corroding  grief? 
Pour  blessings  round  thee  like  a  shower  of  gold. 

Some  high  or  humble  enterprise  of  good 

Contemplate,  till  it  shall  possess  thy  mind 

Become  thy  study,  pastime,  rest  and  food, 

And  kindle  in  thy  heart  a  flame  refined. 

¥ 

XXV. 


They  helped  every  one  his  neighbor,  and  every  one 
said  to  his  brother  :    be  strong  I  —  Isaiah  xli.  6. 


must  teach  every  youth  to  stretch  out  his  hand 
to  the  drowning,  show  the  right  way  to  the  stray- 
262 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ing,  and  share  his  crust,  with  the  starving.  I  need  not  go 
on  to  enumerate  all  that  should  be  done  or  not  be  done 
when  I  can  briefly  impress  on  our  pupil  a  law  of  duty 
between  man  and  man  like  this:  All  that  you  see,  in- 
cluding things  human  and  divine,  forms  One  Whole. 
We  are  members  of  that  body.  Nature  made  us  akin 
when  she  produced  us  out  of  the  same  elements,  for  the 
same  purpose.  She  planted  within  us  the  seed  of 
mutual  affection,  and  formed  us  for  fellowship.  It  was 
she  that  determined  what  was  right.  By  her  ordinance 
it  is  worse  to  do  than  to  suffer  injury.  According  to 
her  law  should  hands  be  trained  to  help;  that  well- 
known  line  should  ever  be  in  mind  and  mouth: 

Man  am  I,  and  to  all  things  human  I  am  kin. 

We  were  born,  let  us  remember,  for  the  common  good ; 
society  is  just  like  an  arch  which  is  supported  simply 
by  the  reciprocal  pressure  of  the  several  stones,  without 
which  the  structure  must  fall.  SENECA. 


O,  full  of  viles,  his  neighbor's  harm  contrives, 
False  to  himself,  against  himself  he  strives ; 
For  he  that  harbors  evil  in  his  mind, 
Will  from  his  evil  thoughts  but  evil  find. 
And,  lo !    the  eye  of  God  that  all  things  knows, 
Can,  when  He  will,  the  heart  of  man  disclose ; 
Open  the  guilty  bosom  all  within, 
And  trace  the  infant  thoughts  of  future  sin. 

263 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXVI.      (praise  anb  (prt^e  of  (tttrfue. 


I  had  grown  faint  unless  I  had  believed  to  see  the 
goodness  of  the  Lord  in  the  land  of  the  living.  — 
Psalm  xxvii.  ij. 


virtues  we  aspire  to  are  great  in  their  way,  not 
however,  because  emancipation  from  evil  is  by 
itself  such  a  blessed  thing,  but  because  every  virtue 
expands  the  mind,  fits  it  for  the  knowledge  of  heavenly 
things,  and  renders  it  capable  for  communion  with  God. 
Man  only  then  attains  the  fulness  and  perfection  of  his 
destiny,  when,  having  trodden  all  evil  under  foot,  he 
lifts  his  mind  above  and  penetrates  into  the  inner  heart 
of  nature.  Then  he  begins  to  apprehend  God;  for 
what  is  God  but  the  Mind  of  the  Universe  ?  Then  only 
do  we  ascribe  to  Him  the  perfection  that  is  His  due. 

What  difference,  then,  is  between  God's  nature  and 
ours  ?  Simply  this:  while  with  us  the  mind  is  the 
nobler  part,  He  is  nothing  but  Mind — He  is  all  reason. 

SENECA. 

Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see 
God. — From  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 

near  is  grandeur  to  our  dust, 
So  near  is  God  to  man, 
When  duty  whispers  low  :    thou  must, 
The  youth  replies,  I  can. 

264 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXVII  £       wd  U0es  o 


And  when  the  Israelites  came  to  Marah  they  could 
not  drink  of  the  waters,  for  they  were  bitter  .  .  .  and 
Moses  cried  unto  the  Lord;  and  the  Lord  showed 
him  a  tree,  which,  when  he  had  cast  into  the  waters, 
the  waters  were  made  sweet.  —  Exodus  xv.  23-25, 


|OES  a  man  reproach  thee  for  being  proud,  ill- 
natured,  envious  or  conceited,  ignorant  or  de- 
tracting? Consider  with  thyself  whether  his  reproaches 
are  true.  If  they  are  not,  consider  further  that  thou 
art  not  the  person  whom  he  reproaches,  but  that  he 
reviles  an  imaginary  being,  and  perhaps  loves  what 
thou  really  art,  though  he  hates  what  thou  appearest  to 
be.  If  his  reproaches  are  true,  if  thou  art  the  envious, 
ill-natured  man  he  takes  thee  for,  give  thyself 
another  turn;  become  mild,  affable  and  obliging,  and 
his  reproaches  of  thee  will  naturally  cease;  or,  if  they 
still  continue,  thou  art  no  longer  the  person  whom  he 
reproaches.  EPICTETUS. 

All  who  speak  truth  to  me  commissoned  are  ; 
All  who  love  God  are  in  my  church  embraced. 


have  an  act  that's  kindly 
^^     Treated  sometime  with  disdain  ; 
Than,  by  judging  others  blindly 
Doom  the  innocent  to  pain. 

265 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXVI 1 1.     £0e  (tfanifg  of  (Daunting. 


When  thou  wast  little  in  thine  own  sight,  wast  thou 
not  made  the  head  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  and  the 
Lord  annointed  thee  King  over  Israel  ? — /  Sam.  xv.  if. 


art  thou,  O  man,  that  presumest  on  thine  own 
wisdom?  Or  why  dost  thou  vaunt  thyself  on 
thine  own  acquirements?  The  first  step  towards  being 
wise  is,  to  know  the  things  wherein  we  are  ignorant; 
if  thou  wouldest  not  be  esteemed  foolish  in  the  judg- 
ment of  others,  cast  off  the  folly  of  being  wise  in  thine 
own  conceit.  As  a  plain  garment  adorneth  a  beautiful 
woman,  so  a  modest  behavior  is  the  greatest  ornament 
of  wisdom.  The  speech  of  a  modest  man  giveth  lustre 
to  truth  and  the  diffidence  of  his  words  absolveth  his 
errors.  He  turneth  away  his  ear  from  his  own  praise 
and  believeth  it  not ;  he  is  the  last  in  discovering  his 
own  perfections.  Yet,  as  a  veil  addeth  to  beauty,  so  are 
his  virtues  set  off  by  the  shade  which  his  modesty 
casteth  upon  them.  The  vain  man  is  puffed  up  with 
the  vanity  of  his  own  imaginations,  his  delight  is  to 
hear  and  to  speak  of  himself  all  the  day  long.  He 
swalloweth  with  greediness  his  own  praise  and  the 
flatterer,  in  return,  eateth  him  up.  ANON. 

lS  magic  was  not  far  to  seek, 

He  was  so  human ;  whether  strong  or  weak, 
Far  from  his  kind  he  never  sank  or  soared, 
But  sate  an  equal  guest  at  every  board. 

266 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

No  beggar  ever  felt  him  condescend, 
Nor  prince  presume ;  himself  he  always  bore 
At  manhood's  simple  level,  and  where'er 
He  met  a  stranger,  there  he  left  a  friend. 


XXIX. 


I  would  strengthen  you  with  my  mouth,  and  the 
moving  of  my  lips  should  assuage  your  grief.  —  Job 
xvi.  5. 

Have  pity  on  me,  have  pity  on  me,  O,  my  friends; 
for  the  hand  of  God  hath  touched  me.  —  Job  xix.  21. 


not  keep  the  alabaster  boxes  of  your  love  and 
tenderness  sealed  up  until  your  friend  is  dead. 
Fill  their  lives  with  sweetness.  Speak  approving, 
cheering  words  while  their  ears  can  hear  them,  and 
while  their  hearts  can  be  thrilled  by  them.  The  things 
you  mean  to  say,  when  they  are  gone,  say  before  they 
go.  The  flowers  you  mean  to  send  for  their  coffins, 
send  to  brighten  and  sweeten  their  homes  before  they 
leave  them.  ...  I  would  rather  have  a  bare  coffin, 
without  a  flower,  and  funeral  without  an  eulogy,  than  a 
life  without  the  sweetness  of  love  and  sympathy.  Let 
us  learn  to  anoint  our  friends  beforehand  for  their 
burial.  Post-mortem  kindness  does  not  cheer  the  bur- 
dened spirit.  Flowers  on  the  coffin  cast  no  fragrance 
backward  over  the  weary  days. 

HENRY  W.   BEECHER. 
267 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


THE  NINE   PARADISES. 

3n  the  nine  heavens  are  eight  Paradises : 
Where  is  the  ninth  one  ?     In  the  human  breast. 
Only  the  blessed  dwell  in  the  Paradises  : 
But  Blessedness  dwells  in  the  human  breast. 
Created  creatures  are  in  the  Paradises : 
The  uncreated  Maker  in  the  breast. 
Rather,  O  man  !  want  those  eight  paradises 
Than  be  without  the  ninth  one  in  thy  breast. 
Given  to  thee  are  those  eight  Paradises 
When  thou  the  ninth  one  hast  within  thy  breast. 


XXX.     fiff  £0g  (pface  in  f0c  ^fruggfe  for 

<15oobne00. 


I,  the  Lord,  search  the  heart  :  I  try  the  inward 
parts,  even  to  give  every  man  according  to  his  ways 
and  the  fruit  of  his  doings.  —  Jeremiah  xvii.  10. 


jURELY,  when  death  is  at  hand,  we  should  desire 
to  say,  ' '  I  have  contributed  my  grain  to  the  great 
store  of  the  eternal.  I  have  borne  my  part  in  the 
struggle  for  goodness."  If  the  thought  of  death  has 
helped  us  so  spend  our  lives,  we  may  well  be  thankful. 
And  let  no  man  or  woman  suppose  that  the  smallest 
social  act  of  goodness  is  wasted  for  society  at  large. 
All  our  help,  petty  though  it  be,  is  needed,  and  though 
we  know  not  the  manner,  the  fruit  of  every  faithful 
service  is  surely  gathered  in.  Let  the  true  and  noble 
words  of  a  great  teacher  ring  in  conclusion  upon  our 

268 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ears:  "The  growing  good  of  the  world  is  partly  de- 
pendent on  unrecorded  acts;  and  that  things  are  not  so 
ill  with  you  and  me  as  they  might  have  been,  is  half 
owing  to  the  number  who  lived  faithfully  a  hidden  life, 
and  rest  in  unvisited  tombs." 

CLAUDE  G.  MONTEFIORE. 

OW  mightest  thou  say  here  to  me 

This  word,  if  so  befall : 
"  To  love  both  God  and  also  man, 

Why  should  it  me  beseem  ? 
It  is  enough  that  I  love  God 
Whereby  I  may  be  saved  !  " 

But  thou  must  this  full  truly  know : 

It  is  not  God's  good  will 
That  either  thou  canst  love  Him  much 

Or  gladly  yield  him  thrall, 
If  that  thou  lovest  not  all  men 

Like  as  thou  lov'st  thyself. 


gome  Bife- 


As  for  me — I  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the  Lord. 
— Joshuah. 

The  first  sure  symptom  of  a  mind  in  health 

Is  rest  of  heart  and  pleasure  felt  at  home.  —  Young. 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

fo 


It  is  good  that  thou  shouldst  take  hold  of  this  ;  but 
also  from  that  withdraw  not  thy  hand:  for  he  that 
feareth  God  cometh  forth  without  hurt  from  all.  — 
Ecclesiastes  vii.  18. 


are  two  ways  of  being  happy — we  may  either 
diminish  our  wants  or  augment  our  means — either 
will  do,  the  result  is  the  same  and  it  is  for  each  man  to 
decide  for  himself  and  do  that  which  happens  to  be  the 
easiest.  If  you  are  idle,  or  sick,  or  poor,  however  hard 
it  may  be  to  diminish  your  wants,  it  will  be  harder  to 
augment  your  means.  If  you  are  active  and  prosper- 
ous, or  young,  or  in  good  health,  it  may  be  easier  for 
you  to  augment  your  means  than  to  diminish  your 
wants.  But  if  you  are  wise  you  will  do  both  at  the 
same  time,  young  or  old,  rich  or  poor,  sick  or  well; 
and  if  you  are  very  wise,  you  will  do  both  in  such  a 
way  as  to  augment  the  general  happiness  of  society. 

B.  FRANKLIN. 

PEN,  Lord,  my  inward  ear, 
And  bid  my  heart  rejoice ; 
Bid  my  quiet  spirit  hear 
The  comfort  of  Thy  voice. 

From  the  world  of  sin  and  noise 

And  hurry  I  withdraw ; 
For  the  small  and  inward  voice 

I  wait  with  humble  awe. 

273 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

II.  €0e  ^ogoue  TEorfeer. 


Then  I  commended  mirth,  because  a  man  hath  no 
better  thing  under  the  sun  than  to  eat,  and  to  drink, 
and  to  be  merry ;  for  that  shall  abide  with  him  of  his 
labor  the  days  of  his  life  which  God  giveth  him  under 
the  sun. — Ecclesiastes  viii.  1. 


[IVE  us,  O  give  us  the  man  who  sings  at  his  work. 
Be  his  occupation  what  it  may,  he  is  equal  to  any 
of  those  who  follow  the  same  pursuit  in  silent  sullen- 
ness.  He  will  do  more  in  the  same  time — he  will  do  it 
better — he  will  persevere  longer.  One  is  scarcely 
sensible  of  fatigue  whilst  he  marches  to  music.  The 
very  stars  are  said  to  make  harmony  as  they  revolve  in 
their  spheres.  Wondrous  is  the  strength  of  cheerful- 
ness, altogether  past  calculation  its  powers  of  endur- 
ance. Efforts  to  be  permanently  useful  must  be  uni- 
formly joyous — a  spirit  all  sunshine — graceful  from 
very  gladness — beautiful  because  bright. 

THOMAS  CARLYLE. 


F  the  world's  a  wilderness, 

Go  build  houses  in  it ! 
Will  it  help  your  loneliness 

On  the  winds  to  din  it  ? 
Raise  a  hut,  however  slight, 

Weeds  and  brambles  smother, 
And  to  roof  and  meal  invite 

Some  forlorner  brother. 

374 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


HI.  £0e  (grace  of 


Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  hast  thou 
ordained  strength. — Psalm  uni.  2. 


can  look  at  this  exquisite  little  creature,  a  child 
seated  on  its  cushion,  and  not  acknowledge  its  pre- 
rogative of  life — that  mysterious  influence  which,  in  spite 
of  the  stubborn  understanding,  masters  the  mind,  send- 
ing it  back  to  days  long  past,  when  care  was  but  a 
dream,  and  its  most  serious  business  but  a  childish 
frolic  ?  But  we  no  longer  think  of  childhood  as  a  past, 
still  less  as  an  abstraction;  we  see  it  embodied  before 
us  in  all  its  mirth,  and  fun,  and  glee,  and  the  grave 
man  becomes  again  a  child,  to  feel  as  a  child.  .  .  . 
What  can  be  real  if  that  is  not  which  so  takes  us  out 
of  our  present  selves  that  the  weight  of  years  falls  from 
us  as  a  garment;  that  the  freshness  of  life  seems  to  be- 
gin anew  ?  ALLSTON. 

I  once  heard  a  kind  father  say;  "  I  talk  to  my  chil- 
dren very  much,  but  do  not  like  to  beat  them;  the 
world  will  beat  them."  It  was  a  beautiful  thought, 
though  not  elegantly  expressed.  ELIHU  BURRIT. 

E  child  between  her  parents  knelt, 
Who  prayed  the  more  to  God  above, 
Because  so  close  to  them  they  felt 
The  dearest  gift  of  heavenly  love. 

T^RAILING  clouds  of  glory,  do  we  come 
^^     From  God,  who  is  our  home  ; 
Heaven  lies  about  us  in  our  infancy. 

?75 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

IV.        feife  in  $e  ©eBfroger'0 

Return  unto  thy  rest,  O,  my  soul,  for  the  Lord  hath 
dealt  bountifully  with  thee. 

Thou  has  delivered  my  soul  from  death,  mine  eyes 
from  tears,  and  my  feet  from  falling. — Psalm  cxvi. 
7,8-  

is  nothing,  no  nothing,  innocent  or  good, 
that  dies  and  is  forgotten ;  let  us  hold  to  that  faith 
or  none.  An  infant,  a  prattling  child  dying  in  its 
cradle  will  live  again  in  the  better  thoughts  of  those 
who  loved  it,  and  play  its  part,  through  them,  in  the 
redeeming  actions  of  the  world,  though  its  body  be 
burnt  to  ashes,  or  drowned  in  the  deepest  sea.  There 
is  not  an  angel  added  to  the  host  of  heaven  but  does  its 
blessed  work  on  earth  in  those  that  loved  it  here.  For- 
gotten !  oh,  if  the  good  deeds  of  human  creatures  could 
be  traced  to  their  source,  how  beautiful  would  even 
death  appear!  How  much  charity,  mercy  and  purified 
affection  would  be  seen  to  have  their  growth  in  dusty 
graves.  Oh,  it  is  hard  to  take  to  heart  the  lesson  that 
such  deaths  teach;  but  let  no  man  reject  it;  for  it  is 
one  that  all  must  learn,  and  is  a  mighty,  universal 
truth.  CHARLES  DICKENS. 

So  others  shall 

Take  patience,  labor,  to  their  heart  and  hand, 
From  thy  hand,  and  thy  heart,  and  thy  brave  cheer, 
And  God's  grace  fructify  to  thee,  to  all. 
The  least  flower  with  a  brimming  cup  may  stand, 
And  share  its  dewdrop  with  another  near. 

276 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
V. 


The  sons  of  Jacob  said  one  to  another :  we  are  ver- 
ily guilty  concerning  our  brother,  in  that  we  saw  the 
anguish  of  his  soul  when  he  besought  us,  and  we 
would  not  hear ;  therefore  is  this  distress  come  upon 
us. — Genesis  xlii.  21* 


is  meant  by  our  neighbor  we  cannot  doubt; 
it  is  every  one  with  whom  we  are  brought  into 
contact.  First  of  all,  he  is  literally  our  neighbor  who 
is  next  to  us  in  our  own  family  and  household ;  husband 
to  wife,  wife  to  husband,  parent  to  child,  brother  to 
sister,  master  to  servant,  servant  to  master.  Then  it  is 
he  who  is  close  to  us  in  our  own  neighborhood,  in  our 
own  town,  in  our  own  parish,  in  our  own  street.  With 
these  all  true  charity  begins.  To  love  and  be  kind  to 
these  is  the  very  beginning  of  all  true  religion.  But, 
besides  these,  it  is  every  one  who  is  thrown  across  our 
path  by  the  changes  and  chances  of  life;  he  or  she, 
whosoever  it  be.  whom  we  have  any  means  of  helping, 
— the  unfortunate  stranger  whom  we  may  meet  in  trav- 
elling, the  deserted  friend  whom  no  one  else  cares  to 
look  after.  A.  P.  STANLEY. 

A  child's  kiss 

Set  on  thy  sighing  lips,  shall  make  thee  glad ; 
A  poor  man  served  by  thee,  shall  make  thee  rich ; 
A  sick  man  helped  by  thee,  shall  make  thee  strong ; 
Thou  shalt  be  served  thyself  by  every  sense 
Of  service  which  thou  renderest. 

277 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

VI.  £&<mb  from  ©ecf ruction. 

I. 

Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  any  of 
His  benefits  .  .  .  who  redeemed  thy^  life  from 
destruction,  and  guarded  thee  around  with  kindness 
and  tender  mercies. — Psalms  ciii.  2,  4. 


JUT  there  is  yet  another  way  in  which  the  "  saving 
of  life  from  destruction  "  may  be  understood.  We 
call  to  mind  the  great  anxieties  of  early  manhood  to 
follow  some  pursuit  and  to  do  some  particular  work  in 
the  world,  and  how  often  nothing  but  disappointment 
has  followed.  Either  the  chosen  pursuit  was  frustrated 
and  made  impossible  by  uncontrollable  circumstance; 
or,  when  undertaken,  it  has  turned  out  to  be  a  wretched 
failure.  Ah!  Who  can  measure  the  sadness,  the 
despondency  of  those  poor  hearts  who,  having  put  the 
fruit  of  their  labor  to  their  lips,  find  nothing  inside 
but  dust  and  ashes.  He  is  wont  to  think  of  his  life  and 
energies  as  thrown  away,  as  destroyed.  He  knows,  or 
thinks  he  knows,  what  he  is  specially  fitted  for,  and  yet 
his  path  thereto  has  been  effectually  barred,  and  he  has 
been  compelled  to  take  up  quite  another  and,  as  he 
feels,  a  lower  occupation  altogether.  Yet  how  often 
such  an  one  has  found,  on  looking  back,  that  his  life 
has  not  been  destroyed,  but  saved  from  destruction; 
that  he  has  been  of  great  use  and  value  to  his  family 
and  his  fellow-men  in  that  lower  sphere  of  activity  which 
he  was  compelled  to  adopt.  CHARLES  VOYSEY. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


HALL  we  murmur,  shall  we  mourn  ? 

Is  our  life  quite,  quite  forlorn  ? 
Or,  in  railing  at  our  fate, 
Do  we  seize  our  joys  too  late  ? 

Ever  will  we  think  our  Lord 

Has  man's  prayers  and  cries  ignored. 

Never  will  we  understand 

Life  is  shaped  by  His  kind  hand. 

Should  we  all  His  wisdom  know 
Then  our  hearts  would  humble  grow  ; 
Should  we  feel  His  ways  are  best, 
Then  our  souls  would  know  true  rest. 


VII.  £J<web  from  ©esf  ruction. 


II. 


He  sent  His  word  and  healed  them  ;  and  delivered 
them  from  their  destruction.  —  Psalms  cvii.  20. 


here  I  must  mention  another  class  of  disap- 
pointed  lives,  which  move  my  deepest  sympathy. 
Men,  and  women  too,  have  naturally  looked  forward 
with  beaming  hope  to  the  full  fruition  of  their  lives  in 
marriage  and  family  love.  This  is  one  of  the  holiest 
and  purest  desires  which  a  loving  God  has  implanted  in 
the  human  breast.  And  yet  we  know  how  sadly,  how 
wofully,  this  hope  has  been  blighted;  how  a  most 
devoted  affection  has  been  bestowed  on  an  unworthy 
object,  how  trusting  hearts  have  been  blighted  by  faith- 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

lessness  and  desertion;  and  alas!  sometimes  the  cold 
and  cruel  hand  of  Death  has  smitten  asunder  the  loving 
pair,  and  sentenced  one  or  the  other  to  the  most  utter 
desolation.  Can  we  not  forgive  such  souls  when  they 
cry  out  that  their  lives  have  been  wrecked,  have  been 
destroyed  ?  And  yet,  the  world  is  full  of  instances  in 
which  these  widowed  and  desolate  souls  have  risen  out 
of  the  ashes  of  their  despair  and  led  lives  of  surpassing 
beauty  and  loving  kindness.  God  has  sent  them  to 
bless,  comfort  and  cherish  some  aged  and  enfeebled 
parent,  some  invalid  brother  or  sister,  or  has  sent  some 
orphaned  or  outcast  children  to  whom  they  could  be  a 
mother  or  a  father.  I  have  cases  in  my  mind  at  this 
moment  where  these  so-called  blighted  or  blasted  lives 
have  been  not  only  saved  from  destruction,  but  made 
radiant  and  glorious  by  heroic  devotion;  when  the 
wealth  of  love,  which  might  have  all  been  poured  forth 
on  husband,  or  wife,  or  children,  has  been  bestowed  on 
kindred,  and  even  on  strangers,  whose  lives  would  have 
been  destroyed  through  lack  of  it. 

CHARLES  VOYSEY. 

3F  the  world  seems  cold  to  you, 
Kindle  fires  to  warm  it ! 
Let  their  comfort  hide  from  view 

Winters  that  deform  it. 
Hearts  as  frozen  as  your  own 

To  that  radiance  gather ; 
You  will  soon  forget  to  moan, 
"Ah  !  the  cheerless  weather." 

280 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

VIII.         Jfcwb  from  ©e0f  ruction. 

III. 

I  said  in  my  haste  :  I  am  cut  off  from  Thine  eyes . 
nevertheless  Thou  heardest  the  voice  of  my  supplica- 
tions. .  .  .  Be  of  good  courage,  and  He  shall 
strengthen  your  heart,  all  ye  that  hope  in  the  Lord. — 
Psalms  xxxi.  22,  24, 


when  we  pass  out  of  ourselves  and  the  souls 
which  He  has  thus  enriched  and  fortified,  we 
meet  the  angels  of  His  saving  grace  in  the  men,  women 
and  children  by  whom  we  are  surrounded.  Think  for 
one  moment  of  the  mercies  and  blessings  of  family  life 
and  love,  of  the  healing,  saving  influences  of  daily  con- 
tact with  those  who  dearly  love  us,  who  pray  for  us, 
who  mourn  over  our  sin  and  frailty,  who  are  patient 
with  our  infirmity,  who  are  good  and  kind  to  us,  al- 
though we  do  not  fully  deserve  it,  who  return  us  good 
for  our  evil,  and  forgive  our  trespasses  even  after  we 
are  grown  weary  of  asking  to  be  forgiven ;  who  think  of 
us  in  the  wakeful  nights,  and  when  we  are  far  away 
sailing  on  distant  seas  or  travelling  amid  the  unknown 
and  ghastly  perils  of  foreign  climes;  the  dear  ones 
whose  love  has  saved  us  from  shameful  sin  a  hundred 
times  over,  and  whom  the  God  of  Love  has  set  around 
on  every  side  to  protect  us  from  ourselves. 

CHARLES  VOYSEY. 
281 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


all  Thy  mercies,  O  my  God, 
My  rising  soul  surveys, 
Transported  with  the  view,  I'm  lost 

In  wonder,  love  and  praise. 
Ten  thousand  thousand  precious  gifts 

My  daily  thanks  employ ; 
Nor  is  the  least  a  cheerful  heart, 
That  tastes  those  gifts  with  joy. 

¥ 

IX. 


And  Hagar  went  and  sat  her  down,  over  against 
Ishmael,  a  good  way  off  ...  for  she  said :  Let  me 
not  see  the  death  of  the  child;  and  she  sat  over 
against  him  and  lifted  up  her  voice  and  wept. — 
Genesis  xxi.  16. 


BLESSED  be  the  tear  that  sadly  rolled 

For  me,  O  mother !  down  thy  sacred  cheek ; 

That  with  a  silent  fervor  did  bespeak 
A  fonder  tale  than  language  ever  told; 

And  poured  such  balm  upon  my  spirit,  weak 
And  wounded  in  a  world  so  harsh  and  cold, 
As  that  wherewith  an  angel  would  uphold 

Those,  that  astray,  heaven's  holy  guidance  seek. 
And  though  it  passed  away,  and,  soon  as  shed 

Seemed  ever  lost,  to  vanish  from  thine  eye, 
Yet  only  to  the  dearest  store  it  fled 

Of  my  remembrance,  where  it  now  doth  lie, 
Like  a  thrice  precious  relic  of  the  dead, 

The  chiefest  jewel  of  its  treasury. 

ROBERT  ROSCOE. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

"  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother."  This  Com- 
mandment was  written  on  the  same  tablet  (one  of  the 
two  Moses  brought  from  the  mount)  on  which  our 
duties  towards  God  were  engraven ;  because  the 
honor  due  to  these  representatives  of  God  equals 
that  we  owe  to  Him. —  The  Pharisees. 

The  mother,  when  she  hears  her  son  called  "  a  full 
man,"  rejoices  more  than  when  she  gave  him  birth. 
It  is  pleasant  to  the  greatest  that  their  children  should 
be  still  greater. — Hindu. 

Defer  humbly  to  thy  parents  out  of  tenderness,  and 
say :  Lord,  have  compassion  on  them  both,  even  as 
they  reared  me  when  I  was  little. — Arabic. 

¥ 

X.          (presents  of  (perenniaf  (price. 

And  the  Lord  said,  shall  I  hide  from  Abraham  that 
which  I  do,  seeing  that  he  will  surely  become  a  great 
nation,  and  all  the  people  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed 
in  him.  For  I  know  him  that  he  will  command  his 
children  and  his  household  after  him,  and  they  shall 
keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  to  do  justice  and  judgment. 
.  .  .  — Genesis  xviii.  77,  18. 


presents  will  you  give  to  the  children  ?  Give 
them  first  and  before  everything  else,  so  that  they 
can  carry  it  with  them  their  whole  lives  long,  the  memory 
of  a  happy  home.  More  than  any  other  inheritance  is  this, 
if  you  wish  to  keep  the  children  loyal  to  you,  loyal  to 
the  heavenly  Father,  loyal  to  the  highest  and  sweetest 
and  finest  things  of  life.  Create  for  them  day  by  day 

283 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

and  hour  by  hour  such  an  atmosphere  of  blessedness  in 
the  home  that  they  shall  carry  it  with  them  as  their 
most  precious  treasure  throughout  all  their  lives  and  all 
round  the  world.  No  boy,  no  girl,  can  ever  come  to  be 
utterly  bad  who  remembers  only  love'  and  tenderness 
and  unselfishness  and  sweetness  as  associated  with 
father  and  mother  in  the  old-time  home.  Give  them 
manly  and  womanly  example,  give  them  training,  give 
them  the  inspiration  of  devoted  lives,  give  them  these 
higher,  deeper  things.  Do  not  care  so  much  as  to 
whether  you  are  accumulating  money,  so  that  you 
can  leave  them  a  fortune.  I  really  believe  that  the 
chances  are  against  that's  being  a  blessing  for  a  boy. 
But  leave  them  an  accumulated  fortune  of  memories 
and  inspirations  and  examples  and  hopes,  so  that  they 
are  rich  in  brain  and  heart  and  soul  and  service.  Then, 
if  you  happen  to  leave  them  the  fortune  besides,  if  they 
have  all  these,  the  fortune  will  be  shorn  of  its  possibil- 
ities of  evil,  and  will  become  an  instrument  of  higher 
and  nobler  good.  MINOT  J.  SAVAGE. 

3F  Thou  shouldst  bless  our  home  with  wealth, 
Let  not  the  world  creep  in  by  stealth 
And  take  away  the  blessing ; 
For  if  our  hearts  should  empty  be 
Of  meekness  and  humility, 
Although  all  else  possessing, 
We  should  miss 
That  true  bliss 

Which  not  all  the  world's  vast  treasure 
Can  supply  in  smallest  measure. 

284 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

'0  Confenfment 


Better  is  a  handful  with  quietness,  than  both  the 
hands  full  with  travail  and  vexation  of  spirit.— 
Ecclesiastes  iv.  6. 


virtue  of  content  does  indeed  produce,  in  some 
measure,  all  the  effects  which  the  alchemist 
usually  ascribes  to  what  he  calls  the  philosopher's 
stone  ;  and  if  it  does  not  bring  riches,  it  does  the  same 
thing  by  banishing  the  desire  of  them.  If  it  cannot 
remove  the  disquietudes  arising  out  of  a  man's  mind, 
body  or  fortune,  it  makes  him  easy  under  them.  It  has 
indeed  a  kindly  influence  on  the  soul  of  man  in  respect 
to  every  being  to  whom  he  stands  related.  It  extin- 
guishes all  murmur,  repining  and  ingratitude  towards 
that  Being  who  has  allotted  to  him  his  part  to  act  in  the 
world.  It  gives  sweetness  to  his  conversations,  and  a 
perpetual  serenity  to  all  his  thoughts.  .  .  .  Among 
the  many  methods  which  might  be  made  use  of  for  the 
acquiring  of  that  virtue,  I  shall  mention  the  two  follow- 
ing: First  of  all,  a  man  should  always  consider  how 
much  he  has  more  than  he  wants;  and  secondly,  how 
much  more  unhappy  he  might  be  than  he  is. 

ADDISON. 


a  gem  in  the  path  of  life, 
Which  we  pass  in  our  idle  pleasure, 
That  is  richer  far  than  the  jewelled  crown 
Or  the  miser's  hoarded  treasure  ; 

285 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

It  may  be  the  love  of  a  little  child, 

Or  the  mother's  prayer  to  Heaven, 
Or  only  a  beggar's  grateful  thanks, 

For  a  cup  of  water  given. 

'RAVE  on  thy  heart  each  past  "  red-letter  day  "  ! 

Forget  not  all  the  sunshine  of  the  way 
By  which  the  Lord  hath  led  thee  ;  answered  prayers, 
And  joys  unasked,  strange  blessings,  lifted  cares, 
Grand  promise-echoes  !     Thus  thy  life  shall  be 
One  record  of  His  love  and  faithfulness  to  thee. 

¥ 

XII.         .     Constberafe 


A  man  has  joy  by  the  answer  of  his  mouth  ;  and  a 
word  in  season  —  O,  how  good  it  is  !  —  Proverbs  xv.  23. 

Heaviness  in  the  heart  of  man  maketh  it  stoop  | 
but  a  good  word  maketh  it  glad.  —  Proverbs  xii.  2J. 


rule  is  not  to  let  familiarity  swallow  up 
all  courtesy.  Many  of  us  have  a  habit  of  saying 
to  those  with  whom  we  live  such  things  as  we  say  about 
strangers  behind  their  backs.  There  is  no  place  where 
real  politeness  is  of  more  value  than  where  we  mostly 
think  it  would  be  superfluous.  You  may  say  more 
truth,  or  rather  speak  out  more  plainly,  to  yeur  asso- 
ciates, but  not  less  courteously  than  you  do  to  strangers. 

SIR  ARTHUR  HELPS. 

^VjORDS  are  mighty,  words  are  living : 

*~      Serpents  with  their  venomous  stings, 
Or  bright  angels  crowding  round  us, 
With  Heaven's  light  upon  their  wings ; 

286 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Every  word  has  its  own  spirit, 

True  or  false,  that  never  dies ; 
Every  word  man's  lips  have  utter 

Echoes  in  God's  skies. 

/jf\   WISDOM  !  if  thy  soft  control 
^•^      Can  soothe  the  sickness  of  the  soul, 
Can  bid  the  warring  passions  cease, 
And  breathe  the  calm  of  tender  peace  : 
Wisdom !  I  bless  thy  gentle  sway, 
And  ever,  ever  will  obey. 

¥ 

XIII.    £6e  £t»ofofb  SenbencD  in 


Love  and  hatred,  both  tend  to  make  us  pass  the 
line  of  justice.  —  Talmud. 


AV|  AN  has  an  unlucky  tendency  in  his  evil  hour,  after 
^-  having  received  an  injury,  to  rake  together  all  the 
moon-spots  on  his  antagonist,  and  thus  change  a  single 
deed  into  a  whole  life,  so  as  to  relish  more  fully  the 
pleasure  of  wrath.  Fortunately  with  regard  to  love  he 
has  the  opposite  tendency — that  of  pressing  together 
all  the  lights,  all  the  rays  emitted  from  the  beloved 
object,  by  the  burning-glass  of  his  imagination,  into  one 
focus,  and  making  of  them  one  radiant  sun  without  any 
spots.  But,  alas !  man  too  often  does  so  when  his  be- 
loved one— yes,  often  blamed  one — has  passed  beyond 
the  cloudy  sky  of  his  life.  Now,  in  order  that  we  act 
thus  sooner  and  oftener,  we  ought  weekly  or  daily 
dedicate  and  sanctify  a  solitary  time  to  the  reckoning 

287 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

up  of  all  the  virtues  of  one's  own  wife,  children, 
friends,  and  contemplating  them  then  in  a  beautiful 
collection,  and  do  so  now  and  always,  that  we  may  not 
pardon  and  love  in  vain  and  too  late,  after  the  beloved 
one  has  been  taken  from  us  to  a  better  world. 

JEAN  PAUL  F.   RICHTER. 

T,  unknowingly,  the  tongue 
Touches  on  a  chord  so  aching 
That  a  word  or  accent  wrong 

Pains  the  heart  almost  to  breaking. 
Many  a  tear  of  wounded  pride, 

Many  a  fault  of  human  blindness, 
Has  been  soothed  or  turned  aside 
By  a  voice  of  quiet  kindness. 

IP 

xiv.  feet  3t  (pa**. 

I  was  as  a  man  that  heareth  not,  and  in  whose 
mouth  there  are  no  reproofs.  For  in  thee,  O  Lord, 
do  I  hope ;  Thou  wilt  hear,  O  Lord,  my  God. — 
Psalms  xxxviii.  14,  15. 

Take  no  heed  unto  all  the  words  that  are  spoken. 
Ecclesiastes  vii.  21* 


it  Pass!  "  Oh,  how  many  souls,  on  the  point 
of  being  disturbed  and  troubled,  these  simple 
words  have  left  serene  and  peaceful!  Something  has 
wounded  us  by  its  want  of  delicacy.  "Let  it  pass"; 
no  one  will  think  any  more  of  it.  A  painful  report  is 
going  to  separate  us  from  an  old  friend.  "  Let  it  pass," 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

and  we  will  preserve  the  peace  of  our  souls  and  holy 
charity.  A  bitter  or  unjust  word  irritates  us.  4<  Let  it 
pass  "  ;  he  from  whom  it  escaped  will  be  only  too  happy 
to  see  that  we  have  forgotten  it.  How  is  it  that  we  are 
so  careful  to  remove  the  thorns  from  our  path  lest  they 
should  wound  us,  and  yet  we  can  take  pleasure  in  gath- 
ering and  burying  in  our  hearts  the  thorns  that  we  en- 
counter in  the  family  circle?  Surely,  we  are  very  un- 

reasonable. 

GOLDEN  SANDS. 

<VVjHATEVER  thou  doest,  never  grieve  thy  brother; 
***      Nor  kindle  fumes  of  wrath  his  peace  to  smother. 
Dost  thou  desire  to  taste  eternal  bliss  ? 
Vex  thine  own  heart,  but  never  vex  another.  —  OMAR  KHAYIM. 

Thus,  if  we 

Seek  only  to  draw  forth  the  hidden  sweet 
In  all  the  varied  human  flowers  we  meet 
In  all  the  wide  garden  of  humanity, 
And,  like  the  bee,  if  home  the  spoil  we  bear, 
Hived  in  our  hearts  it  turns  to  nectar  there. 


XV. 


Happy  the  man  that  findeth  wisdom,  and  the  man 
that  getteth  understanding.  .  .  .  Their  ways  are  ways 
of  pleasantness,  and  all  their  paths  are  peace.  —  Prov- 
erbs Hi.  fj,  77. 


3T  deserves  notice  that  almost  any  one  can  be  courte- 
ous  and   forbearing   and   patient   in  a  neighbor's 
house.     If  anything  go  wrong,  or  be  out  of  time,  or 

289 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

disagreeable  there,  it  is  made  the  best  of,  not  the  worst  ; 
even  efforts  are  made  to  excuse  it,  and  to  show  that  it 
is  not  felt;  or,  if  felt,  it  is  attributed  to  accident,  not 
design;  and  this  is  not  only  easy,  but  natural  in  the 
house  of  a  friend.  I  will  not,  therefore,  believe  that 
what  is  so  natural  in  the  house  of  another  is  impossible 
at  home;  but  maintain,  without  fear,  that  all  the  cour- 
tesies of  social  life  may  be  upheld  in  domestic  societies. 
A  husband  as  willing  to  be  pleased  at  home,  and  as 
anxious  to  please,  as  in  his  neighbor's  house  ;  and  a  wife 
as  intent  on  making  things  comfortable  every  day  to 
her  family  as  on  set  days  to  her  guests,  could  not  fail 
to  make  their  own  home  happy. 

3  LIVE  for  those  who  love  me, 
For  those  I  know  are  true, 
For  the  Heaven  that  smiles  above  me, 

And  awaits  my  spirit  too  ; 
For  all  human  ties  that  bind  me, 
For  the  task  my  God  assigned  me, 
For  the  bright  hopes  left  behind  me, 
And  the  good  that  I  can  do. 

XVI.        £0c  <Bfor    of 


The  brave  woman  rises  while  it  is  yet  night,  and 
giveth  meat  to  her  household  and  their  portions  to 
her  maidens  ;  she  layeth  her  hands  to  the  spindle  and 
holdeth  the  distaff.  .  .  .  —  Proverbs  xxxi,  75,  ig. 


the  grandest  of  human  callings  and  detail  its 
routine  ;  people  will  turn  away  from  it  as  from  a 
dull  story.     And  yet  one  may  take  the  smallest  calling, 


290 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

the  meanest  occupation,  the  most  matter-of-course  duty 
and  shed  on  it  the  beautiful  light  of  the  ideal  world,  the 
glory  of  religion  ;  and  behold,  as  every  dewdrop  becomes 
a  diamond  when  the  morning  comes  over  the  hills,  as 
every  bit  of  mica  flashes  like  a  pearl  when  the  sunshine 
strikes  it,  so  this  little  atom  of  duty,  care,  toil,  trouble, 
becomes  a  gem  when  touched  by  the  light  of  this  prin- 
ciple. O.'B.  FROTHINGHAM. 


a  noble  deed  is  wrought, 
Whene'er  is  spoken  a  noble  thought, 
Our  hearts  in  glad  surprise 
To  higher  levels  rise. 


VER  of  holy  words, 

Bestow  Thy  holy  power ; 
And  aid  me,  whether  work  or  thought, 

Engage  the  varying  hour. 
In  Thee  have  I  my  help, 
As  all  my  fathers  had, 
I'll  trust  Thee  when  I'm  sorrowful, 
And  serve  Thee  when  I'm  glad. 

¥ 

XVII.  feearn  fo  (Bnbure. 

They  also  that  erred  in  spirit  shall  come  to  under- 
standing, and  they  that  murmured  shall  learn  doctrine. 
— Isaiah  xxix.  24. 

(\VJ  Y  son,  if  thou  come  to  serve  the  Lord,  prepare  thy 
V*  soul  for  trial.  Set  thy  heart  aright,  and  con- 
stantly endure  and  be  not  hasty  in  thy  thoughts  in  time 
of  trouble.  Cleave  unto  Him,  and  depart  not  away 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

that  thou  mayest  be  rewarded  at  thy  last  end.  What- 
soever is  brought  upon  thee  take  cheerfully,  and  be 
patient  when  thou  art  brought  to  a  low  estate.  For 
gold  is  tried  in  the  fire  and  acceptable  men  in  the  fur- 
nace of  adversity.  ...  Ye  that  fear  the  Lord  wait 
for  His  mercy  and  hope  for  good  and  everlasting  joy. 
Woe  is  to  fearful  hearts,  and  faint  hands,  and  the  sinner 
who  is  double-dealing.  They  that  fear  the  Lord  will 
prepare  their  hearts  and  humble  their  souls  in  His 
sight,  saying  :  We  will  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord 
and  not  into  the  hands  of  men,  for,  as  His  majesty  is,  so 
is  His  mercy.  ECCLESIASTICUS. 


who  sendest  sun  and  rain, 
Thou  who  spendest  bliss  and  pain, 
Good  with  bounteous  hand  bestowing, 
Evil  for  Thy  Will  allowing  : 
Though  Thy  Ways  we  cannot  see, 
All  is  just  that  comes  from  Thee. 

¥ 


XVIII 


Ye  shall  reverence  everyone  his  father  and  his 
mother,  and  keep  my  Sabbaths  ;  I  am  the  Lord,  your 
God.  —  Leviticus  xix.  j. 

The  eye  that  mocketh  at  his  father  and  despiseth 
his  mother,  the  ravens  of  the  valley  shall  pick  it  out  5 
the  young  eagles  shall  eat  it.  —  Proverbs  xxx.  77. 


Lord   hath   given   the   father   honor   over  the 
children  and  hath  established  the  authority  of  the 
mother  over   the   sons.      Whoso   honoreth   his   father 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

maketh  an  atonement  for  his  sins,  and  he  that  honoreth 
his  mother  is  as  one  that  layeth  up  treasure  ;  he  shall 
have  joy  in  his  own  children  and  when  he  maketh  his 
prayer,  he  shall  be  heard  ;  and  he  that  is  obedient  unto 
the  Lord  shall  be  a  comfort  to  his  mother.  The  bless- 
ing of  the  father  establisheth  the  houses  of  children,  but 
the  curse  of  the  mother  rooteth  out  foundations.  The 
glory  of  a  man  is  from  the  honor  of  his  father  ;  in  the 
day  of  affliction  it  shall  be  remembered  to  him  ;  his  sins 
also  shall  melt  away  as  the  ice  in  the  fair,  warm 
weather.  ECCLESIASTICUS. 

OfrH  !  blessed  are  they  for  whom,  'mid  all  their  pains, 

\vy     That  faithful  and  unalter'd  love  remains; 

Who,  life  wrecked  round  them,  hunted  from  their  rest  — 

And  by  all  else  forsaken  or  distressed, 

Claim  in  one  heart  their  sanctuary  and  shrine, 

As  I,  my  mother,  claimed  my  place  in  thine. 

MRS.  NORTON. 


XIX. 


Righteousness  is  immortal.  —  Eeclesiasticus  j. 

Remember  the  days  of  old,  consider  the  years  of 
many  generations  ;  ask  thy  father  and  he  will  show 
thee,  thy  elders  and  they  will  tell  thee.  —  Deuteronomy 
xxxii.  f. 


us  now  praise  renowned  men,  in  whom  the  Lord 
manifested    His    great    glory,    even    His  mighty 
power  from  the  beginning  ;  amongst  them  such  as  did 


293 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

bear  rule  and  were  men  renowned  for  their  power,  giv- 
ing counsel  by  their  understanding,  who  have  brought 
tidings  in  prophecy  ;  leaders  of  the  people  by  their 
counsels  and  men  of  learning  for  the  nation  ;  such  as 
thought  out  musical  tunes  and  set  forth  verses  in 
writing  ;  rich  men  furnished  with  ability,  living  peace- 
ably in  their  habitations.  All  these  were  honored  in 
their  generations  and  were  a  glory  in  their  days.  They 
were  men  of  mercy  whose  righteous  deeds  have  not 
been  forgotten.  With  their  offspring  shall  remain  con- 
tinually a  good  inheritance.  Their  bodies  were  buried 
in  peace  and  their  names  live  to  all  generations. 
Peoples  will  declare  their  wisdom  and  the  congregation 
of  Israel  telleth  out  their  praise.  ECCLESIASTICUS. 

'OD'S  doors  are  men,  the  Pariah  kind 
Admits  thee  to  the  perfect  mind. 

of  great  men  all  remind  us, 
We  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 
And,  departing,  leave  behind  us, 

Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time,  — 
Footprints,  that  perhaps  another, 
Sailing  o'er  life's  solemn  main, 
Some  forelorn  and  shipwrecked  brother, 
Seeing,  shall  take  heart  again. 

¥ 

xx. 


Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path  of  life  :  in  Thy  pres- 
ence is  fullness  of  joy;  at  Thy  right  hand  are  delights 
for  evermore.  —  Psalm  xvi.  //. 

394 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

dead  are  like  the  stars  by  day, 
Withdrawn  from  mortal  eye, 
Yet  holding  unperceived  their  way 
Through  the  unclouded  sky. 

By  them  through  holy  hope  and  love 

We  feel  in  hours  serene, 
Connected  with  a  world  above, 

Immortal  and  unseen. 

Though  death  his  sacred  seal  hath  set 

On  bright  and  bygone  hours, 
Still  more  we  love  are  with  us  yet, 

Are  more  than  ever  ours;— 

Ours  by  the  pledge  of  love  and  faith 

By  hopes  of  heaven  on  high, 
By  trust  triumphant  over  death 

In  immortality. 

Those  who  have  lived  a  holy  life,  when  they  are 
freed  from  this  earth  and  set  at  large,  as  it  were,  from 
a  prison  will  arrive  at  a  pure  abode  and  live  without 
bodies  through  all  future  time.  They  will  arrive  at 
habitations  more  beautiful  than  can  be  described. 

— Plato. 
¥ 

XXI.        £r<m0ftsurafion  of  ©eaf$. 

Precious,  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  is  the  death  of 
His  saints. — Psalms  cxvi.  15. 


HEREFORE,  O  judges,  be  of  good  cheer  about 
death,  and  know  of  a  certainty  that  no  evil  can 


295 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

happen  to  a  good  man,  either  in  life  or  after  death. 
He  and  his  are  not  neglected  by  the  gods;  nor  has  my 
own  approaching  end  happened  by  mere  chance.  But 
I  see  clearly  that  the  time  has  arrived  when  it  was 
better  for  me  to  die  and  be  released  from  trouble; 
wherefore  the  oracle  gave  no  sign.  For  which  reason, 
also,  I  am  not  angry  with  my  condemners,  or  with  my 
accusers ;  they  have  done  me  no  harm,  although  they 
did  not  mean  to  do  me  any  good ;  and  for  this  I  may 
gently  blame  them.  Still  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  them. 
When  my  sons  are  grown  up,  I  would  ask  you,  O  my 
friends,  to  punish  them,  and  I  would  have  you  trouble 
them,  as  I  have  troubled  you,  if  they  seem  to  care  about 
riches,  or  anything,  more  than  about  virtue ;  or  if  they 
pretend  to  be  something  when  they  are  really  nothing, 
— then  reprove  them,  as  I  have  reproved  you,  for  not 
caring  about  that  which  they  ought  to  care,  and  think- 
ing that  they  are  something  when  they  are  really  noth- 
ing. And  if  you  do  this,  both  I  and  my  sons  will  have 
received  justice  at  your  hands. 

The  hour  of  departure  has  arrived,  and  we  go  our 
ways — I  to  die  and  you  to  live.  Which  is  better  God 
only  knows.  SOCRATES  PLATO. 

DEATH. 
OUGHT  but  a  step  into  the  open  air 

Out  of  a  tent  already  luminous 
With  light,  that  shines  through  its  transparent  folds. 

LONGFELLOW. 
296 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


xxii.         £fc  <gfmdf  (Rwari. 


Thy  light  shall  break  forth  as  the  morning  .  .  . 
and  thy  righteousness  shall  go  before  thee  and  the 
glory  of  God  shall  be  thy  rearward. — Isaiah  Iviii.  8. 


ON  THE   RELIGIOUS   MEMORY   OP 
CATHERINE   THOMSON, 
faith  and  love  which  parted  from  thee  never 
Had  ripened  thy  just  soul  to  dwell  with  God, 
Meekly  thou  didst  resign  this  earthly  load 

Of  death,  called  life,  which  us  from  life  doth  sever. 
Thy  works  and  alms  and  all  thy  good  endeavor 

Stayed  not  behind,  nor  in  the  grave  were  trod; 
But,  as  faith  pointed  with  her  golden  rod, 

Followed  thee  up  to  joy  and  bliss  for  ever. 
Love  led  them  on,  and  Faith,  who  knew  them  best, 

Thy  handmaids,  clad  them  o'er  with  purple  beams 
And  azure  wings  that  up  they  flew  so  drest, 

And  spoke  the  truth  on  thee  on  glorious  themes, 
Before  the  Judge;  who,  thenceforth,  bid  thee  rest 
And  drink  thy  fill  of  pure  immortal  streams. 

JOHN  MILTON. 

To  make  some  nook  of  God's  creation  a  little 
fruitfuller,  better,  more  worthy  of  God;  to  make 
some  human  heart  a  little  wiser,  manfuller,  happier, 
more  blessed,  less  accursed — it  is  a  work  for  a  god. 

—Carlyle. 

In  the  mind  of  a  man  that  is  chastened  and 
purified  thou  wilt  find  nothing  foul,  impure,  or  any 
sore  skinned  over ;  nor  will  fate  ever  overtake  him  in 

297 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

a  state  of  being  that  is  imperfect,  as  may  happen  to  a 
tragic  actor  who  leaves  the  stage  before  he  has  fin- 
ished his  part. — M.  Aurelius. 

¥ 

XXIII.  £0e  Cftforen'B  (praise  of  (Bob. 

The  generations  to  come  should  know  the  Com- 
mandments of  the  Lord ;  even  the  children  that  shall 
be  born ;  who  should  arise  and  declare  them  to  their 
children,  that  they  might  set  their  hope  in  God  and 
not  forget  the  works  of  God  and  His  Commandments. 
— Psalms  Ixxviii.  6,  7. 


lEyEARKEN  unto  me,  ye  pious  children  and  bud  forth 
"  as  roses  growing  by  a  brook  of  water  ;  and  give  3^6 
a  sweet  savor  as  frankincense,  and  put  forth  flowers  as 
a  lily;  and  sing  a  song  of  praise.  Bless  ye  the  Lord,  for 
all  His  works  magnify  His  name,  and  give  utterance  to 
His  praise  with  the  songs  of  your  lips,  and  with  harps, 
and  thus  shall  ye  say  when  ye  utter  His  praise  : 

All  the  works  of  the  Lord  are  exceeding  good,  and 
every  command  of  His  shall  be  accomplished  in  His 
season.  None  can  say,  what  is  this  ?  wherefore  is  that  ? 
For  in  His  season  they  shall  all  be  sought  out.  At  His 
command  is  all  His  good  pleasure  does  and  there  is 
none  that  shall  hinder  His  good  pleasure  done  and  there 
is  none  that  shall  hinder  His  salvation.  The  works  of 
all  flesh  are  before  him  and  it  is  not  possible  to  be  hid 
from  His  eyes.  His  ways  are  plain  unto  the  holy, 
but  they  are  stumbling-blocks  unto  the  wicked.  Good 

298 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

things  are  created  from  the  beginning  for  the  good,  so 
are  evil  things  for  sinners  ;  and  now  with  all  your  heart 
and  mouth  sing  ye  praises  and  bless  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  ECCLESIASTICUS. 


the  happy  hymn  we  raise, 
Take  the  love  which  is  Thy  praise. 
Give  content  to  each  condition, 
Bend  our  hearts  in  sweet  submission  ; 
And  Thy  trusting  children  prove 
Worthy  of  the  Father's  Love. 

¥ 

XXIV.  JE)<ty:p{ne06  —  (genuine  dnb 


And  whatsoever  mine  eyes  desired  I  kept  not  from 
them,  I  withheld  not  my  heart  from  any  joy.  ,  .  . 
Then  I  looked  on  all  the  works  that  my  hands  had 
wrought,  and  on  the  labor  that  I  had  labored  to  do  : 
and,  behold,  all  was  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit,  and 
there  was  no  profit  under  the  sun.  —  Ecclesiastes  »'. 

70,   //. 


happiness  is  of  a  retired  nature  and  an  enemy 
to  pomp  and  noise  :  it  arises,  in  the  first  place, 
from  the  enjoyment  of  one's  self  ;  and,  in  the  next,  from 
the  friendship  and  conversation  of  a  few  select  com- 
panions ;  it  loves  shade  and  solitude,  and  naturally 
haunts  groves  and  fountains,  fields  and  meadows  ;  in 
short,  it  feels  everything  it  wants  within  itself  and 
receives  no  addition  from  multitudes  of  witnesses  and 


2Q9 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

spectators.  On  the  contrary,  false  happiness  loves  to 
be  in  a  crowd  and  to  draw  the  eyes  of  the  world  upon 
her.  She  does  not  receive  any  satisfaction  from  the 
applause  which  she  gives  herself,  but  from  the  admira- 
tion which  she  raises  in  others.  She  flourishes  in  courts 
and  assemblies,  and  has  no  existence  but  when  she  is 
looked  upon.  ADDISON. 


my  neart  was  vex'd  with  care, 
Filled  with  fears  well-nigh  despair; 
When,  with  watching  many  a  night, 
On  me  fell  pale  sickness'  blight  ; 

When  my  courage  fail'd  me  fast, 
Camest  Thou,  my  God,  at  last, 
And  my  woes  were  quickly  past. 

M  EARN  to  be  content,  and  thou  wilt  have 
>£     little  to  repent. 

¥ 

XXV.   QBc  not  ^efff<$  in  fflg 


My  soul,  wait  thou  only  upon  God,  for  my  expecta- 
tion is  from  Him.  —  Psalms  Ixii.     . 


will  you  do  with  your  losses  and  your  sorrows  ? 
If  you  have  lost  a  friend,  remember  that  it  was  a 
blessed  gift  that  you  had  that  friend, — appreciate  that. 
And  then  take  this  loss  into  your  heart  as  a  great  power 
to  soften,  to  make  sympathetic,  to  turn  into  tenderness, 
the  whole  current  of  your  life.  The  noblest  men  and 
women  I  have  ever  known  have  been  those  who  have 


300 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

lost,  who  had  suffered.  There  is  nothing  like  sympathy 
in  this  direction  to  make  us  appreciate  the  low,  sad 
music  of  humanity,  to  make  us  enter  into  the  needs  of 
those  with  whom  we  come  in  contact  every  day,  and  to 
give  us  power  to  help,  to  brighten,  to  cheer,  and  to 
make  strong.  Let  us  not  be  selfish  in  our  sorrow.  Let 
us  not  imagine  that  nobody  else  ever  had  a  sorrow  so 
bitter  as  ours.  Nothing  has  happened,  nothing  can 
happen,  to  us  that  has  not  happened  a  thousand  times 
before  to  somebody  else.  Let  us,  then,  share  this  com- 
mon lot  of  man  with  patience,  with  trust  ;  and  let  us 
make  these  losses,  this  pain  in  our  hearts,  the  deep- 
down  springs  and  fountains  of  the  finest  and  sweetest 
and  best  things  in  all  our  lives,  and  then  let  us  look  up, 
and  believe  that  even  the  losses  are  not  losses.  If  God 
is,  and  if  all  the  accumulated  trusts  and  hopes  of  all  the 
world  are  not  liars,  then  no  love  ever  has  or  ever  can 
lose  its  own.  MINOT  J.  SAVAGE. 


refuge  have  I  none  : 
Hangs  my  helpless  soul  on  Thee  ; 
Leave,  ah  !  leave  me  not  alone, 
Still  support  and  comfort  me  ! 
All  my  trust  on  Thee  is  stay'd, 

All  my  help  from  Thee  I  bring  ; 
Cover  my  defenseless  head 

With  the  shadow  of  Thy  wing. 


XXVI.  dJenffe  (Rufe. 


She  openeth  her  mouth  with  wisdom,  and  in  her 
tongue  is  the  law  of  kindness.  —  Pro-verbs  xxxi.  26. 


301 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Q^E  not  as  a  lion  in  thy  house,  nor  frantic  among  thy 
^•^  servants,  whereas  thy  servant  worketh  truly,  en- 
treat him  not  evil,  nor  the  hireling  that  bestoweth  him- 
self for  thee.  Let  thy  soul  love  a  good  servant  and 
defraud  him  not  of  liberty.  ECCLESIASTICUS. 

The  manner  of  saying  or  of  doing  anything  goes  a 
great  way  in  the  value  of  the  thing  itself.  It  was  well 
said  of  him  that  called  a  good  office  done  harshly  and 
with  an  ill-will,  a  stony  piece  of  bread ;  it  is  necessary 
for  him  who  is  hungry  to  receive  it,  but  it  almost  chokes 
a  man  in  the  going  down.  SENECA. 

All  usefulness  and  all  comfort  may  be  prevented  by 
an  unkind,  a  sour,  crabbed  temper  of  mind, — a  mind 
that  can  bear  with  no  difference  of  opinion  or  tempera- 
ment. A  spirit  of  fault-finding;  an  unsatisfied  temper; 
a  constant  irritability;  little  inequalities  in  the  look,  the 
temper,  or  the  manner ;  a  brow  cloudy  and  dissatisfied 
— your  husband  or  your  wife  cannot  tell  why — will  more 
than  neutralize  all  the  good  you  can  do,  and  render  life 
anything  but  a  blessing.  ALBERT  BARNES. 

U  can  never  tell  when  you  send  a  word — 
Like  an  arrow  shot  from  a  bow 
By  an  archer  blind — be  it  cruel  or  kind, 

Just  where  it  will  chance  to  go. 
It  may  pierce  the  breast  of  your  dearest  friend, 

Tipped  with  poison  or  balm ; 
To  a  stranger's  heart  in  life's  great  mart 
It  may  carry  its  pain  or  its  calm. 

302 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XXVII. 


And  Jacob  vowed  a  vow,  saying :  If  God  will  be 
with  me  and  will  keep  me  in  His  way  that  I  go,  and 
will  give  me  bread  to  it,  and  raiment  to  put  on,  so 
that  I  come  again  to  my  father's  house  again  in  peace, 
then  shall  the  Lord  be  my  God,  and  this  stone  which 
I  have  set  for  a  pillar  shall  be  God's  house.  .  .  . 
— Genesis  xxviii.  20,  21. 


our  hearts  have  thrilled,  and  always  will  thrill, 
as  we  contemplate  that  scene, — the  wandering  of 
the  famous  ten  thousand  Greeks  under  the  leadership 
of  Xenophon ;  how,  after  their  wanderings  and  battles 
in  foreign  lands,  struggling  to  get  home  once  more, 
they  climb  at  last  the  hill-tops,  and  shout  with  a  voice 
that  has  echoed  in  the  romantic  imagination  of  the 
world's  literature  ever  since,  and  that  finds  its  response 
still  in  our  hearts:  "Thalassa!  thalassa! "— "The  sea! 
the  sea!" — because  beyond  the  sea  was  home;  these 
were  waters  with  which  they  were  familiar.  And  so 
their  hearts  rejoiced,  and  their  voices  shouted  that  joy 
on  the  air.  However  trite  it  may  be,  however  much 
worn  to  our  thought  or  feeling,  there  is  still  a  tender 
place  in  every  heart  for  the  familiar  song  of  John 
Howard  Payne: — 

"  'Mid  pleasures  and  palaces  though  we  may  roam, 
Be  it  ever  so  humble,  there's  no  place  like  home ! 
A  charm  from  the  skies  seems  to  hallow  us  there, 
Which,  seek  through  the  world,  is  ne'er  met  with  elsewhere. 

3°3 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

"  An  exile  from  home,  splendor  dazzles  in  vain. 
Oh,  give  me  my  lowly  thatched  cottage  again  ! 
The  birds  singing  gaily,  that  came  at  my  call,  — 
Give  me  them,  —  and  the  peace  of  mind  dearer  than  all  !  " 

It  is  because  these  simple  words  touch  the  heart  of 
humanity  that  America  was  not  content  until  he  who 
wrote  them  had  been  brought  from  over  the  sea,  from 
his  grave  in  a  foreign  country,  that  he  might  at  least 
find  final  rest  in  the  home  of  which  he  had  sung  so  well. 
So  the  whole  country  rose  up  to  welcome  his  uncon- 
scious remains,  as  they  came  to  sleep  in  his  native  soil. 

MINOT  J.  SAVAGE. 
¥ 

xxvili. 


Happy  art  thou,  O  Israel, 

Who  is  like  unto  thee,  a  people  saved  by  the  Lord, 

The  shield  of  thy  help  ! 

Thy  excellency  is  thy  sword, 

Thy  enemies  shall  submit  themselves  to  thee, 

And  thou  shall  tread  upon  their  high  places. 

—  Deuteronojny  xxxiii.  sg, 

last  words  spoken  by  Moses,  the  man  of  God! 
Altho'  coming  from  dying  lips,  they  are  not  sad 
nor  regretful;  they  are  joyous,  triumphant.  If  wre  com- 
pare our  nation  to  Israel,  we  simply  follow  the  example 
of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers;  and  so  we  may  say:  Happy  art 
thou,  O  America  !  who  is  like  unto  thee,  a  people  saved 
by  the  Lord,  the  shield  of  thy  help  ! 

3°4 


SUN. AND  SHIELD. 

"  We  are  a  happy  people,"  contented  to  live  under  the 
protection  of  our  fundamental  law.  Too  often  men 
learn  to  value  a  blessing  only  after  they  have  lost  it ;  but 
we  need  not  the  shock  of  reverses  to  have  our  eyes 
opened  to  our  favored  condition.  If  anything,  we 
incline  to  an  over-confidence  that  our  good  fortune  will 
last  for  ever,  that  we  need  fear  no  hostility.  Without 
doubt,  the  sum  of  human  happiness  is  greater  among 
the-  seventy  millions  gathered  under  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  than  among  an  equal  number  in  any  part  of  the 
globe.  Even  the  malcontents,  even  those  who  make  a 
trade  or  a  creed  of  their  dissatisfaction,  would  rather 
hug  their  ill-temper  here  than  elsewhere.  This  is  not 
due  to  what  is  ironically  called  a  paternal  government. 
Any  attempt  at  such  would  be  at  once  resisted.  The 
principal  protection  an  American  citizen  needs  is  that 
his  elbow  room  be  not  unduly  restricted.  For  the  rest, 
he  prefers  to  be  his  own  President,  and  is  most  pleased 
when  he  sees  the  chosen  head  of  the  nation  attend  strictly 
to  the  duties  of  his  office,  as  defined  by  our  constitution. 
The  vision  of  the  seer  stands  before  us  a  reality  and  it 
is  one  in  which  all  lovers  of  liberty  and  justice  have 
reason  to  rejoice.  G.  G. 


D  thus  to  Heaven  our  pleading  accents  call, 
May  wrong  and  strife  among  us  disappear ; 
And  when  their  sacred  rights  are  given  to  all, 
May  truth  and  love  lead  in  a  golden  year. 


305 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

XXIX.   feetntp,  a  foe  to 


A  merry  heart  maketh  a  cheerful  countenance; 
but  by  sorrow  of  the  heart,  the  spirit  is  broken  — 
Proverbs  xv.  /. 


QJXETWEEN  Levity  and  Cheerfulness  there  is  a  wide 
^•^  distinction ;  and  the  mind  which  is  most  open  to 
levity  is  frequently  a  stranger  to  cheerfulness.  It  has 
been  remarked  that  transports  of  intemperate  mirth  are 
often  no  more  than  flashes  from  the  dark  cloud;  and 
that  in  proportion  to  the  violence  of  the  effulgence  is 
the  succeeding  gloom,  Levity  may  be  the  forced  pro- 
duction of  folly  or  vice ;  cheerfulness  is  the  natural  off- 
spring of  wisdom  and  virtue  alone.  The  one  is  an  occa- 
sional agitation,  the  other  a  permanent  habit.  The  one 
degrades  the  character;  the  other  is  perfectly  consistent 
with  the  dignity  of  reason  and  the  steady  and  manly 
spirit  of  religion.  To  aim  at  a  constant  succession  of 
high  and  vivid  sensations  of  pleasure  is  an  idea  of 
happiness  perfectly  chimerical.  Calm  and  temperate 
enjoyment  is  the  utmost  that  is  allowed  to  man. 
Beyond  this  we  struggle  in  vain  to  raise  our  state;  and, 
in  fact,  depress  our  joys  by  endeavoring  to  heighten 
them.  HUGH  BLAIR. 

Partake   only   of  such    joys   as  may  have    a    joyful 
remembrance.  BERTHOLD  AUERBACH. 

306 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Y  thus  longing,  thus  for  ever  sighing 
For  the  far-off,  unattained,  and  dim ; 
While  the  beautiful,  all  round  thee  lying, 

Offers  up  its  low,  perpetual  hymn  ? 
Would'st  thou  listen  to  its  gentle  teaching, 

All  thy  restless  yearning  it  would  still. 
Leaf  and  flower  and  laden  bee  are  preaching 
Thine  own  sphere,  though  humble,  first  to  fill. 


XXX.  (Boobnees  of  ^edrf,  $e  Q&ftufifter 


He  that  diligently  seeketh  good  procureth  favor  ; 
but  he  that  seeketh  mischief,  it  shall  come  upon  him. 
—  Proverbs  xi.  27. 

Heaviness  in  the  heart  of  man  maketh  it  stoop  ; 
but  a  good  word  maketh  it  glad.  —  Proverbs  xii.  25. 


power  of  manners  is  incessant — an  element  as 
tmconcealable  as  fire.  .  ' .  .  There  are  certain 
manners  which  are  learned  in  good  society,  of  that  force 
that,  if  a  person  have  them,  he  or  she  must  be  con- 
sidered, and  is  everywhere  welcome,  though  without 
beauty,  wealth,  or  genius.  They  must  always  show 
self-control ;  you  shall  not  be  facile,  apologetic,  or  leaky, 
but  king  over  your  word;  and  every  gesture  and  action 
shall  indicate  power  at  rest.  Then  they  must  be 
inspired  by  the  good  heart.  There  is  no  beautifier  of 
complexion,  or  form,  or  behavior,  like  the  wish  to  scat- 
ter joy  and  not  pain  around  us.  'Tis  good  to  give  a 
stranger  a  meal  or  a  night's  lodging.  'Tis  better  to  be 

3°7 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

hospitable  to  his  good  meaning  and  thought,  and  give 
courage  to  a  companion.  We  must  be  as  courteous  to 
a  man  as  we  are  to  a  picture,  which  we  are  willing  to 
give  the  advantage  of  a  good  light.  Special  precepts 
are  not  to  be  thought  of;  the  talent  of  well-doing  con- 
tains them  all.  EMERSON. 

[UT  as  we  meet  and  touch  each  day 
The  many  travellers  on  our  way, 
Let  every  such  brief  contact  be 
A  glorious,  helpful  ministry. 


308 


God  blessed  the  Seventh  Day  and  hallowed  it. 

— Genesis. 

To-day  is  Sabbath;  forego  all  mourning  and  all 
signs  of  mourning. — Pharisaic. 

Into  the  mind,  filled  with  the  sacred  joy  of  the 
Sabbath,  cometh  a  higher  soul  from  above. — -Jewish 
Kabbalists. 

The  first  creature  of  God  in  the  works  of  the  days 
was  the  light  of  sense,  the  last  was  the  light  of  rea- 
son ;  and  His  Sabbath  work  since  is  the  illumination 
of  the  spirit — Bacon. 


309 


I.  (praise  of  (Bob  in  f0e 


Thou,  O  Lord,  hast  made  me  to  rejoice  through 
Thy  work ;  how  great  are  they  and  how  deep  are  Thy 
thoughts. — Psatms  xcii.  4,3. 


[OD,  the  Lord  over  all  works,  blessed  be  He 

And  ever  to  be  blessed  by  the  voice  of  every  soul ! 
His  Greatness  and  His  Goodness  fill  the  universe; 

Knowledge  and  understanding  are  around  Him. 
He  is  exalted  above  the  Holy  Creatures 

And  adorned  in  glory  above  the  Celestial  Chariot. 
Purity  and  rectitude  are  before  His  throne, 

Mercy  and  Compassion  in  His  glorious  presence. 
Good  are  the  luminaries  which  our  God  has  made, 

He  formed  them  with  knowledge,  understanding  and 

discernment. 
He  gave  them  might  and  strength  to  rule  in  the  world. 

They  are  full  of  lustre  and  radiate  brightness, 
Beautiful  in  their  shining  from  end  to  end. 

They  rejoice  in  their  going  forth,  and  are  glad  in  their 

coming  in, 
And  yet  with  awe  accomplish  the  will  of  their  Maker. 

They  render  honor  and  glory  to  His  name 
And  shout  for  joy  at  the  remembrance  of  sovereignty. 

He  called  unto  the  sun  and  he  shone  forth  in  light ; 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

He  willed  and  ordained  the  changes  of  the  moon. 

All  the  hosts  on  high  render  praise  to  Him, 
Both  Seraphim  and  Ophanim  and  the  Holy  Creatures 
Sing  to  Him  who  perfected  His  glorious  works, 
And  sanctified  the  Sabbath 
And  called  it  a  delight  to  the  sons  of  man. 

ANCIENT  HEBREW  HYMNUS. 

Tr.  G.  G. 


II  .  30fam—  ^urtenber  fo 

the  name  of  the  merciful  and  compassionate  God. 
Praise  belongs  to  God,  the  Lord  of  the  worlds, 
the  merciful,  the  compassionate,  the  ruler  of  the  day  of 
judgment!  Thee  we  serve  and  Thee  we  ask  for  aid, 
Guide  us  in  the  right  path,  the  path  of  those  to  whom 
Thou  art  gracious,  not  of  those  with  whom  Thou  art 
wroth  or  of  those  who  are  astray. 

OPENING  PRAYER  OF  KORAN. 

What  God  opens  to  men  of  His  mercy,  there  is  none 
to  withhold,  and  what  He  withholds,  there  is  none  can 
send  it  forth  after  Him,  for  He  is  the  Mighty,  the  Wise. 

KORAN. 

f^ORD,  let  Thy  fear  within  us  dwell, 
^/    Thy  love  our  footsteps  guide  ; 
That  love  will  all  vain  love  expel, 

That  fear  all  fear  beside. 
Not  what  we  wish,  but  what  we  want, 

Oh,  let  Thy  grace  supply  : 
The  good  unasked  in  mercy  grant, 

The  ills,  though  asked,  deny. 

3" 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


in.        £0c  (Bob  of  Our  jbrefafflew. 


Fear  thou  not,  O  Jacob,  for  I  am  with  thee ;  be  not 
dismayed,  for  I  am  thy  God;  I  will  strengthen  thee, 
yea,  I  will  keep  thee  and  uphold  thee  with  the  right 
hand  of  My  righteousness. — haiah  xli,  10. 


thought  of  renouncing  one's  religion  merely  for 
the  sake  of  being  amiable  and  agreeing  with  those 
who,  having  no  religion  of  their  own,  and  not  wishing 
to  unite  with  any  already  in  existence,  desire  a  new 
religion,  must  be  abhorrent  both  to  pious  and  right- 
minded  Jews  and  Christians.  Such  a  surrender  would 
be  a  silent  admission  that  the  Judaism  for  which  our 
ancestors  have  stood  for  over  3,000  years  was,  after 
all,  merely  a  temporary  matter,  a  convenience  of 
opinion,  to  be  taken  up  and  laid  down  like  a  cloak. 
No  account  is  taken  of  real  faith  and  honest  conviction. 
No  heed  is  given  to  a  hereditary  religious  spirit  that  is 
bound  up  in  certain  definite  creeds,  and  no  attention  is 
paid  to  a  religious  tradition  that,  in  the  course  of  ages, 
has  grown  and  developed  and  become  part  of  the  flesh 
and  blood  of  man. 

Religion  grows  out  of  human  wants,  is  created  by  the 
heart's  hunger  for  spiritual  food,  by  the  soul's  longing 
for  an  authoritative  master  in  the  knowledge  of  truth, 
love,  justice  and  mercy.  Each  individual  has  added  to 
the  religion  of  his  family  what  his  special  needs  prompt- 
ed ;  each  family  has  formed  its  particular  home  service ; 
each  tribe  individualized  its  religion  ;  each  state  or 


3T3 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

nation  or  people  added  its  own  peculiar  creations  that 
emanated  from  its  own  particular  needs. 

JOSEPH  SILVERMAN. 

HOU  art  my  God :  to  Thee  alone 

I  will  commend  my  cause ; 
Not  glittering  gold  nor  precious  stone 
Shall  make  me  leave  Thy  laws. 
O,  teach  me  then  the  way 
Whereby  I  may 
Make  Thee  my  only  stay. 

My  lips,  my  tongue,  my  heart  and  all 

Shall  spread  Thy  mighty  name ; 
My  voice  shall  never  cease  to  sound 
The  praises  of  the  same. 
Yea,  every  living  thing 
Shall  sweetly  sing 
To  Thee,  O  Heavenly  King. 

¥ 

IV.  £0e  <Wdfer0  of 

For  the  Lord  hath  called  thee  as  a  woman  forsaken 
and  grieved  in  spirit,  and  a  wife  of  youth,  when  thou 
wast  refused,  saith  thy  God. 

For  a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee;  but 
with  great  mercies  will  I  gather  thee. 

In  a  little  wrath  I  hid  My  face  from  thee  for  a  mo- 
ment ;  but  with  everlasting  kindness  will  I  have  mercy 
on  thee,  saith  the  Lord,  thy  redeemer. 

For  this  is  as  the  waters  of  Noah  unto  Me ;  as  I 
have  sworn  that  the  waters  of  Noah  should  no  more 
go  over  the  earth ;  so  have  I  s:vorn  that  I  would  not 
be  wroth  with  thee. — Isaiah  liv.  6,  f,  8,  9. 

3M 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

say:  This  is  speaking  of  God  as  though  He, 
like  man,  were  swayed  by  varying  moods  and  tem- 
pers— now  of  wrath  and  now  of  pity ;  now  of  anger  and 
now  of  compassion.  But  remember,  the  Seer  spoke  not 
to  philosophize  about  God  and  define  His  nature,  but  to 
console  aud  uplift  a  fallen  nation.  The  land  was  deso- 
late, the  Temple  in  ruins;  the  people,  who  had  escaped 
from  the  sword,  were  either  led  into  captivity  or  roam- 
ing in  misery  amongst  ruins.  And  Israel  said:  God 
has  turned  His  face  from  us  and  forsaken  us  utterly. 
The  one  need  of  the  hour,  then,  was  to  raise  up  the 
fallen  with  new  assurances  of  God's  unfailing  mer- 
cies, and,  by  examples  of  former  experiences,  plant  new 
hope  in  hearts  sunk  in  despair.  Carried  away  by  his  pity, 
the  Seer  seized  upon  such  thoughts  and  clothed  them 
in  such  speech  as  would  find  their  way  to  the  heart 
of  his  nation  and  make  them  willing  to  listen  to  his 
message.  Read  them  in  this  light — and  you  will  have 
no  heart,  you  will  see  no  cause  for  cavil,  rather  you 
will 

END  your  ear 

To  God  brought  near 
By  His  servant's  word, 

And  gladly  hear 
What  bids  depart 

All  dread  and  fear, 
And  falls  like  balm 
On  bruised  soul, 

And  makes  it  strong  and  calm.       G.  G. 

315 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


V.  Strin    on 


For  the  Lord  hath  called  thee,  O  Israel,  as  a  wo- 
man is  called  that  is  forsaken  and  grieved  in  spirit ; 
and  as  a  wife  of  youth,  when  she  was  refused.  For  a 
small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee ;  but  with  great 
mercies  will  I  gather  thee.  .  ,  , — Isaiah  liv,  6,  7. 


|OES  an  utterance  like  this  indeed  spring  from  an 
imperfect  idea  of  God  ?  Only  look  behind  the 
Oriental  drapery  and  you  will  be  satisfied  that  it  is  not 
so.  What  more  worthy  conception  than  this  :  Punish- 
ment is  but  like  a  momentary  overflowing  of  wrath, 
whilst  mercy  is  the  abiding  nature  of  God ;  the  one  is 
transient,  the  other  enduring;  the  one  a  means,  the 
other  an  end;  or,  as  the  Psalmist  sings,  "His  anger  is 
but  for  a  moment,  His  favor  is  for  life."  Goethe  says: 
"  The  moment  a  man  speaks,  he  errs  ";  if  this  be  true 
generally,  then  surely,  almost  inevitably  so,  when  he 
tries  to  describe  the  All-perfect!  And  suppose  Isaiah 
erred,  and  erred  greatly,  in  his  way  of  speaking — he 
erred  on  the  right  side,  on  the  side  of  mercy  and  com- 
passion !  Would  that  all  our  mistakes  about  God  were 
of  the  same  kind !  The  darkest  pages  of  human  history 
and  the  most  damaging  evidence  against  religion  would 
never  have  been  written !  Rather  a  thousand  times  the 
errors  of  this  great  soul  than  the  exactness  of  all  the 
creeds  known  to  man's  unspeakable  sorrow.  G.  G. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

-  ROM  the  recesses  of  a  lowly  spirit, 

Our  humble  prayer  ascends  ;  O  Father  !  hear  it, 
Upsoaring  on  the  wings  of  awe  and  meekness  ; 
Forgive  its  weakness  1 

We  see  Thy  hand  ;  it  leads  us,  it  supports  us  ; 
We  hear  Thy  voice  ;  it  counsels  and  it  courts  us  ; 
And  then  we  turn  away  ;  and  still  Thy  kindness 
Forgives  our  blindness. 


VI.  (gmfafton  in 


When  I  remember  Thee  upon  my  bed,  and  medi  - 
tate  on  Thee  in  the  night-watches,  because  Thou  hast 
been  my  help,  I  will  rejoice  in  the  shadow  of  Thy 
wings,  and  my  soul  shall  follow  hard  after  Thee. 
Thy  right  hand  upholdeth  me. — Psalms  Ixiii.  6,  8, 


L  history  is  but  the  aggregate  of  the  history  of  in- 
dividuals,  and  what  is  true  of  the  one  must  also  be 
true  of  the  other;  each  man's  life  is  a  revelation  of  the 
Divine ;  nay,  we  can  never  understand  any  kind  of  God's 
revelations  if  we  do  not  find  the  key  to  them  in  our  own 
bosom.  The  Bible  is  best  understood  by  those  who  make 
the  book,  a  '  *  lamp  to  their  feet  and  a  light  on  their  path, J ' 
when  they  trace  back  the  way  they  have  trod.  They 
see  plan  and  sequence  in  all  events  that  have  left  their 
impress  on  their  souls:  success  and  failure,  gain  and 
loss,  happiness  and  sorrow,  all  tended  in  one  direc- 
tion, a  fact  they  did  not  notice  at  the  time  of  their  hap- 
pening, but  which  they  now  clearly  discern.  They  see 
in  what  they  are,  as  much  of  the  shaping  of  the 

3'7 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Invisible  Master,  as  of  their  own  doing.  And  in  the 
silence  of  the  inner  soul  they  worship  the  living  God, 
even  if  they  utter  no  sound.  Yea,  they  may  speak  with 
Him  face  to  face,  and  say : 

4  4  rt  EAD  on,  my  God ;  I  follow  Thee 
>•*    With  willing  step  and  trustful  heart, 

Choose  Thou,  O  God,  for  me  my  part, 
With  tranquil  soul  I  follow  Thee."        G.  G. 

VII.  (penwukf  (gefigion. 

And  Nathan  said  to  David :     Thou  art  the  man ! 
II.  Samuel  xii.  lj. 

Show  me  Thy  ways,  O  Lord,  teach  me  Thy  paths ; 
lead  me  in  Thy  truth,  for  Thou  art  the  God  of  my 
salvation ;  on  Thee  do  I  wait  all  day. — Psalms  xxv. 


difference  between  abstract  and  personal  religion 
will  always  remain ;  but  the  question  for  us  to  ask 
is,  Is  our  religion  sufficiently  personal, — does  it  go  deep 
into  our  motives,  stir  our  deepest  feelings,  enter  into 
our  conscience,  and  influence  our  daily  life  ? 

My  friends,  it  is  impossible  to  have  personal  religion 
without  fully  realizing  the  personality  of  God.  When 
God  becomes  personal,  religion  becomes  personal,  and 
worship  becomes  the  sweetest  and  most  indispensable 
work  of  the  day.  The  finest  ideals  about  God  do  not 
make  religion.  Even  the  finest  poetry  about  God's 
nature  does  not  make  religion.  Without  personal 
religion  how  can  there  be  spirituality  ?  Without  a  per- 

318 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

sonal  God  —  a  God  who  has  a  mind,  who  has  a  will,  who 
has  holiness,  who  can  reward  and  bless,  who  can  com- 
fort and  overshadow  and  embrace  us  all  —  personal 
religion  is  impossible. 

PROTAP  CHUNDER  MOZOOMDAR. 
I. 

,  whose  breast  is  rest 
In  the  time  of  strife, 
In  Thy  secret  breast 
Sheltering  souls  opprest 
From  the  heat  of  life. 

Thou,  whose  ways  we  praise, 

Clear  alike  and  dark, 
Keep  our  works  and  ways, 
This  and  all  our  days 

Safe  within  Thine  ark. 


VIII.        £0c  Communtfg  of 


To  the  saints  that  are  in  the   earth   and   to   the 
excellent  is  all  my  delight.  —  Psalms  ocvi.  j>. 


MAINTAIN  that  this  simple  religion  which  I  have 
tried  to  lay  before  you  has  the  power  of  absorbing 
to  itself  all  the  resources  of  all  the  great  religions. 
Believing  in  nothing  more  complex  than  that  God  is, 
and  that  He  is  good,  that  He  is  near,  and  that  He  is 
loving;  believing  in  nothing  more  complex  than  that 
you  are  my  sisters,  my  brothers,  and  my  friends, — I 
have  the  spiritual  wealth  of  all  the  great  religions  that 
ever  flourished.  What  is  there  in  the  enthusiasm  and 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

energy  of  Islam  that  I  cannot  accept  ?  What  ails  my 
liberal  religion  that  I  cannot  assimilate  that  energy, 
that  fidelity,  that  monotheistic  influence,  that  obedience 
to  the  laws  of  God  ?  What  ails  me  that  I  cannot  assim- 
ilate the  marvellous  benevolence  of  Buddhism, — its 
self-conquest,  its  kindness  to  man  and  to  beast  alike, 
its  tolerance,  its  equality  of  men  and  women,  its  poverty 
and  simplicity  ?  What  is  the  matter  with  my  simple 
theistic  principles  that  I  cannot  absorb  the  wonderful 
insight  of  the  Hindu  into  the  spiritual  constitution  of 
the  universe  ?  Why  should  I  not  learn  from  him  that 
introspection  by  which  in  his  own  soul  he  beholds  the 
glorious  manifestation  of  his  supreme  Brahma  ? 

PROTAP  CHUNDER  MOZOOMDAR. 
II. 

OU,  the  Word  and  Lord 
In  all  time  and  space, 
Heard,  beheld,  adored 
With  all  ages  poured 

Forth  before  thy  face. 
Thou  whose  face  gives  grace 

As  the  sun  doth  heat, 
Let  Thy  sun-bright  face 
Lighten  time  and  space 

Here  beneath  Thy  feet. 

¥ 

IX      QRig$feou0ne66  a  Qt5fe0Btng  for  (&ff. 

I  will  get  them  praise  and  fame  in  every  land 
where  they  have  been  put  to  shame  .  .  .  for  I 
will  make  you  a  name  and  a  praise  among  all  people 
of  the  earth  when  I  turn  back  your  captivity  before 
your  eyes. — Zephaniah  Hi.  79,  20. 
320 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

for  our  customs,  there  is  no  nation  which  always 
makes  use  of  the  same  customs,  and  in  every  city 
almost  we  meet  with  different  ones:  but  justice  is  most 
for  the  advantage  of  all  men  equally,  both  Greeks  and 
Barbarians:  to  this  our  laws  pay  the  greatest  regard, 
and  so  render  us,  if  we  observe  them  rightly,  benevo- 
lent and  friendly  to  all  men,  on  which  account  we  have 
reason  to  expect  the  like  return  from  others — nor  ought 
they  to  esteem  difference  of  institutions  a  sufficient 
cause  of  alienation,  but  should  look  rather  to  virtue  and 
probity,  for  this  belongs  to  all  men  in  common  and  is 
sufficient  of  itself  alone  for  the  preservation  of  human 
life. 


The  Jewish  nation  is,  by  their  Law,  a  stranger  to  all 
such  things  (erecting  statues  and  temples  to  men) ;  they 
are  accustomed  to  prefer  righteousness  to  glory;  for 
which  reason  that  nation  was  not  agreeable  to  Herod, 
because  it  was  out  of  their  power  to  flatter  the  king's 
ambition  with  statues  or  temples  or  any  other  such 
thing.  FLAVIUS  JOSEPHUS. 

/NVUTHOR  of  being,  source  of  light, 
\VV     With  unfading  beauties  bright ; 
Fulness,  goodness,  rolling  round 
Thy  own  fair  orb  without  a  bound : 
Whether  Thy  suppliants  call 
Truth,  or  Good,  or  One,  or  All, 
Grecian  or  Barbaric  name, 
Thy  steadfast  being  is  all  the  same. 

321 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


X.  QRea0ona8fe  Contentment 


The  lines  are  fallen  unto  me  in  pleasant  places ; 
yea,  I  have  a  goodly  heritage.  I  will  bless  the  Lord 
who  hath  given  me  counsel ;  my  inward  part  instructs 
me  in  the  night  time. — Psalms  xvi.  6,  7. 


we  wish  to  gain  contentment,  we  might  try  such 
rules  as  these  : — 

1.  Allow  thyself  to  complain  of  nothing,  not  even  of 
the  weather. 

2.  Never  picture  thyself  to  thyself  under  any  circum- 
stances in  which  thou  art  not. 

3.  Never  compare  thine  own  lot  with  that  of  another. 

4.  Never  allow  thyself  to  dwell  on  the  wish  that  this 
or  that  had  been,  or  were,  otherwise  than  it  was,  or  is. 
God  Almighty  loves  thee  better  and  more  wisely  than 
thou  dost  thyself. 

5.  Never  dwell  on  the  morrow.     Remember  that  it 
is  God's,  not  thine.     The  heaviest  part  of  sorrow  often 
is  to  look  forward  to  it.     "  The  Lord  will  provide." 

E.  B.  PUSEY. 

>jTTERE  let  me  pause,  the  quest  forego ; 
^w/     Enough  for  me  to  feel  and  know, 
That  He  in  whom  the  cause  and  end, 
The  past  and  future  meet  and  blend — 
Speaks  not  alone  the  words  of  fate, 
Which  worlds  destroy,  and  worlds  create ; 
But  whispers  in  my  spirit's  ear, 
In  tones  of  love,  or  warning  fear, 
A  language  none  beside  me  hear. 

322 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XI.  qfoef  (ttnber  f0e  ^<xbow  of  ^ie  Wing. 


Blessed  is  the  man  whom  Thou  choosest  and  caus- 
est  to  approach  unto  Thee  that  he  may  dwell  in  Thy 
courts  :  we  shall  be  satisfied  with  the  goodness  of  Thy 
house,  even  of  Thy  holy  Temple. — Psalms  Ixv.  4. 


OW  good  it  is  to  wander  in  Thy  way, 
How  beautiful  upon  Thy  path  to  stay. 

There  is  no  slip,  no  falling  there 
The  course  runs  on  without  a  bending. 
Then  will  I  walk  Thy  way  fore'er 
My  song  of  praises  to  Thee  sending. 

Thou  art  my  hope,  my  aim  in  everything, 
The  anchor  of  my  heart,  of  life  the  spring. 

I  yearn  Thee  in  Thy  light  to  see, 
Yet  such  beseems  not  me,  poor  mortal. 
When  fain  my  heart  would  be  near  Thee, 
I  step  within  Thy  temple's  portal. 

JEHUDAH  HALEVI. 

God  has  made  the  heart  of  man  to  long  after  Him- 
self, to  be  satisfied  indeed  with  nothing  else  in  the 
whole  universe  short  of  seeing  Him  in  all  the  beauty  of 
His  holiness  and  love,  and  being  bound  to  Him  in  ten- 
derest  and  closest  communion.  No  earthly  good  or 
pleasure  ever  really  satisfies  the  cravings  of  the  human 
heart.  There  is  still  unrest  and  mortification  and  fail- 
ure, not  so  bad  perhaps  as  to  make  us  cry  out  in  the 

323 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

language  of  Ecclesiastes,  "  All  is  vanity  and  vexation 
of  spirit,"  but  bad  enough  to  make  us  feel  that  we  were 
born  for  far  higher  happiness,  and  for  a  far  nobler  end 
than  for  this  world's  good,  or  for  mere  pleasure.  And 
this  it  is  which  gives  the  proof  to  what  I  affirmed,  viz. : 
that  God  has  made  us  for  the  enjoyment  of  Himself, 
has  so  constituted  us  by  nature  that  nothing  but  Him- 
self can  ever  satisfy  our  hearts'  desire. 

CHARLES  VOYSEY. 
¥ 

XII.  ©tficotb  anb  (glccotb. 

I  know,  O  Lord,  that  Thy  judgments  are  right, 
and  that  Thou  in  faithfulness  hast  afflicted  me.  Let, 
I  pray  Thee,  Thy  merciful  kindness  be  for  my  com- 
fort, according  to  Thy  word  unto  Thy  servant. — 
Psalms  cxix.  ,  6. 


@S  musicians  sometimes  go  through  perplexing  mazes 
of  discord  in  order  to  come  to  the  inexpressible 
sweetness  of  aftercords,  so  men's  discord  of  trouble 
and  chromatic  jars,  if  God  be  their  leader,  are  only  pre- 
paring for  a  resolution  into  such  harmonious  strains  as 
could  never  have  been  raised  except  upon  such  under- 
tones. Most  persons  are  more  anxious  to  stop  their 
sorrow  than  to  carry  it  forward  to  its  choral  outburst. 
"Now,  no  chastening  for  the  present  seemeth  to  be 
joyous,  but  grievous;  nevertheless,  afterwards,  it  yield- 
eth  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness  unto  them  that 
are  exercised  thereby." 

HENRY  W.  BEECHER. 


324 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Behold,  I  will  bring  them  health  and  cure,  and  I 
will  cure  them ;  and  will  reveal  unto  them  the  abun- 
dance of,  peace  and  truth. — Jeremiah  xxxiii.  6. 


the  spirit,  worn  and  weary, 
'Neath  its  daily  load  of  care, 
Treads  the  pathway  long  and  dreary, 

And  (he  burden  hard  to  bear ; 
Tired  with  hoping,  faint  and  fearing, 
Sighs  to  reach  the  golden  gate  : 

Then  in  accents  soft  and  cheering. 
Patience  whispers,  "  Only  wait ; 
For  a  brighter  day  is  dawning, 
Joy  awaits  us  in  the  morning — 
In  the  beauty  of  the  morning, 
Only  wait." 

¥ 

XIII.  3ntMtb  (gerf. 


Thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  the  holy  one  of  Israel,  in 
returning  and  rest  shall  ye  be  saved,  in  quietness  and 
confidence  shall  be  your  strength. — Isaiah  xxx.  15. 


us  understand  the  exact  kind  of  rest  which  is 
particularly  needful,  and  which  is  not  always 
included  in  the  popular  notions.  Everybody  is  aware 
of  that  kind  of  rest,  which  is  called  physical;  but  there 
is  another  kind  of  rest  which  may  be  enjoyed  simulta- 
neously with  the  daily  exercise  of  our  working  faculties. 
This  is  an  inward  composure,  a  calm  self-possession,  a 
steady  adherence  to  fixed  principles.  The  busy  man  of 
the  world  might  acquire  it,  and  is  certainly  more  in  need 

325 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

of  it  than  the  hermit  or  recluse.  It  is  a  sort  of  com- 
posure which  is  quite  compatible  with  outward  activity 
and  mental  activity  too.  .  .  .  How  much  more 
easily  we  could  get  through  the  vicissitudes  of  this 
earthly  career,  if  only  we  could  preserve  the  calm, 
inward  self!  OSWALD  JOHN  SIMON. 

/A'ORSAKE  me  not,  my  God ! 
Aj      Uphold  me  in  Thy  going, 
That  evermore  I  may 

Please  Thee  in  all  well-doing. 
And  that  Thy  Will,  O  God, 

May  never  be  forgot 
In  all  my  works  and  ways, 

My  God,  forsake  me  not. 


XIV. 


Show  me  Thy  ways,  O  Lord,  teach  me  Thy  paths ; 
lead  me  in  Thy  truth  and  guide  me  :  for  Thou  art  the 
God  of  my  salvation ;  on  Thee  do  I  wait  every  day. — 
Psalms  xxv.  ,  j". 


say  they  believe  in  God;  they  are  sure  that 
He  is  the  most  Perfect  Being  it  is  possible  to 
imagine;  but  they  fail  to  appreciate  or  even  to  take 
account  of  that  wondrous  privilege  inherent  in  human 
nature,  namely,  that  it  is  possible  for  us,  even  in  the 
busy  world,  to  live  with  Him.  In  this  generation  there 
is  especial  need  of  making  the  Supreme  Being  a  greater 
reality  for  us.  What  we  want  is  God  Himself  with  all 

326 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

the  inward  rest  and  peace  which  His  presence  can  alone 
procure.  The  mere  contact  with  such  a  presence  is 
likely  to  light  up  all  dark  corners  of  our  secret  lives  to 
render  glaring  to  our  own  perception  some  of  those 
evils  to  which  we  would  rather  have  remained  blindfold. 

OSWALD  JOHN  SIMON. 

may  Thy  happy  children  cease 
From  restless  wishes  prone  to  sin, 
And  in  Thine  own  exceeding  peace 

Yield  to  Thy  daily  discipline. 
We  need  as  much  the  load  we  bear, 

As  air  we  breathe,  as  light  we  see  ; 
It  draws  us  to  Thy  side  in  prayer, 
It  binds  us  to  our  strength  in  Thee. 

¥ 

XV. 


The  Merciful  One,  may  He  grant  us  a  perfect 
Sabbath  here  and  rest  in  the  life  everlasting.  —  Ancient 
Hebrew  Prayer. 


KNOW  not  if  there  be  an  occupation  more  fitting  the 
Sabbath  than  to  look  into  a  human  heart  where 
peace,  content  and  kindliness  reign.  It  is  like  coming 
from  the  heat,  the  turmoil  and  the  conflicts  of  a  teem- 
ing city  to  the  sweet  stillness  of  the  meadow,  the  hill  or 
the  forest;  it  is  like  sitting  by  a  brook  bubbling  its 
music  at  our  feet,  or  under  shading  trees  the  whisper 
of  whose  branches  lull  us  into  forgetfulness  of  the 
outside  world.  O  happy  souls  where  heavenly  peace 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

rules !  To  hear  your  discourse,  to  listen  to  your  mild 
reproofs,  to  learn  of  the  path  so  often  strewn  with 
thorns,  on  which  you  were  led  to  your  repose,  is  heark- 
ening to  the  perennial  revelation  of  God;  is  keeping 
His  Sabbath  in  the  way  most  pleasing  to  Him,  because 
most  blessed  to  us.  G.  G. 

/VV  OW  may  the  great  and  glorious  God 
V*,       Through  His  own  grace 
Shield  us  from  shame-deeds, 

And  from  sinful  works ; 
And  give  us  grace  to  guide  us  rightly  here 

In  this  weak,  sorrowful  world, 
That  we  may  come  to  His  court, 

The  Kingdom  of  Heaven ; 
When  souls  shall  part  and  sunder  fly, 

To  be  and  bide  and  rest  with  Him. 


XVI. 


(peace. 


And  I  will  yet  be  more  lowly  than  this,  yea,  will 
be  base  in  my  own  sight.     .     .     .  —  //.  Samuel.  6,  22. 


EVER  will  I  seek  or  receive  private,  individual  sal- 
vation ;  never  will  I  enter  into  final  peace  alone, 
but  for  ever  and  everywhere  I  will  live  and  strive  for 
the  universal  redemption  of  every  creature  throughout 
the  worlds.  BUDDHIST  LITURGY. 

If  the  greatest  man  on  earth  commits  an  injury,  a 
good  man  can  at  once  make  himself  greater  than  he  by 
forgiving  it. 

328 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

To  love  and  to  serve  all  men  is  to  delight  in  God. 

MENCIUS. 

If  thou  hast  done  harm  to  any  one,  be  it  ever  so  little, 
consider  it  much;  if  thou  hast  done  any  one  a  favor,  be 
it  ever  so  great,  consider  it  little.  If  thy  neighbor 
has  shown  thee  kindness,  do  not  undervalue  it;  if  he 
has  caused  thee  injury,  do  not  overrate  it. 

THE  PHARISEES. 

PEACE  and  Rest ! 

Upon  the  breast 
Of  God  Himself  I  seem  to  lean, 

No  break  nor  bar 

Of  sun  or  star 
And  God  and  I  and  nought  between. 

O,  when  some  day 

In  vain  I  pray 
For  days  like  these  to  come  again, 

I  shall  rejoice 

With  heart  and  voice 
That  one  such  day  has  ever  been. 

¥ 

XVII.    Jgacreb  (lUc*  of  ffle  Jfacreb  ©dg. 

Verily,  my  Sabbaths  ye  shall  keep,  for  the  Sabbath 
is  a  sign  between  me  and  you  throughout  your  genera- 
tions ;  that  ye  may  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  that  doth 
sanctify  you. — Exodus  xxxi.  /j>. 


Fourth    Commandment    has  reference    to   the 
sacred  seventh  day,   that   it   may  be  passed  in  a 
pious  and   holy  manner.     The   sacred  historian   says, 

329 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

that  the  world  was  created  in  six  days  and  that  on  the 
seventh  day  God  desisted  from  His  works  and  began  to 
contemplate  what  He  had  so  beautifully  created;  and  He 
commanded  that  beings  who  were  destined  to  live  in 
this  state,  shall  imitate  God  in  this  particular,  as  well  as 
in  others.  They  shall  work  on  the  six  days,  but  cease 
on  the  seventh,  and  devote  their  leisure  to  the  contem- 
plation of  nature;  they  shall  consider  whether  in  the 
preceding  six  days  they  have  done  anything  that  was 
not  holy.  They  shall  bring  their  conduct  before  the 
judgment  seat  of  the  soul  and  subject  to  a  close  scrutiny 
all  they  have  said  and  done,  the  Divine  Laws  sitting  by 
as  assessors  and  joint  inquirers;  thus  errors  that  have 
been  committed,  at  times  only  from  carelessness,  may 
be  corrected  and  similar  offences  thereafter  be  avoided. 

PHILO-JUD^EUS. 
HOLY   SABBATH-REST. 


lips  hail  thy  advent, 
Thee  in  love  our  God  has  se 
Mind  and  heart  of  man  to  guard, 
And  to  lead  him  heavenward. 


XVIII. 

^— »  --—•--   -  -  -  -/ 

I. 

Receive  the  instruction  of  wisdom  and  justice,  and 
judgment  and  equity. — Proverbs  i.  j. 

HE  moral  order  of  the  world  rests  on  three  things: 
on  Law,  on  Worship  and  on  Charity. 

33° 


SUN  AND  SHIELD 

In  serving  God  be  not  like  hirelings  who  work  only 
for  the  sake  of  the  wages  they  receive,  but  do  thou  the 
will  of  the  Heavenly  Father  without  any  thought  of 
recompense.  Let  thy  house  be  a  meeting-place  for 
wise  men ;  cover  thyself  with  the  dust  of  their  feet  (be 
their  disciple)  and  drink  in  their  words  with  avidity; 
but  let  thy  home  also  be  open  to  the  poor  that  they  may 
come  in  as  though  they  were  of  thine  own  household. 

Those  that  are  above  thee  in  wisdom  and  piety  make 
thy  teachers;  those  that  are  thine  equals  make  thy 
friends  and  associates;  but  judge  thou  all  men  from  the 
favorable  side  and  try  to  discover  their  merits,  be  they 
ever  so  humble  in  station  and  deficient  in  knowledge. 
CHAPTERS  OF  THE  PHARISAIC  FATHERS. 

THOU,  whose  perfect  goodness  crowns 

With  peace  and  joy  this  sacred  day, 
Our  hearts  are  glad  for  all  the  years 
Thy  love  has  kept  us  in  Thy  way. 

For  common  tasks  of  help  and  cheer, 
For  quiet  hours  of  thought  and  prayer, 
For  moments  when  we  seemed  to  feel 
The  breath  of  a  diviner  air ; 

For  mutual  love  and  trust  that  keep 
Unchanged  through  all  the  changing  time, 
For  friends  within  the  vail  who  thrill 
Our  spirit  with  a  hope  sublime  : 

For  this,  and  more  than  words  can  say, 
We  praise  and  bless  Thy  holy  name. 
Come  life  or  death,  enough  to  know 
That  Thou  art  evermore  the  same. 

JOHN  W.  CHADWICK. 

331 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XIX.  Continuation. 


ii. 

Incline  thine  ear  unto  wisdom  and  apply  thou  thy 
heart  to  understanding. — Proverbs  ii.  2. 


EEP  aloof  from  an  evil-minded  neighbor,  avoid  the 
company  of  sinners  lest  thou  also  be  taken  in  the 
judgment  that  is  sure  to  come  upon  them,  sooner  or 
later. 

Love  work;  never  try  to  lord  it  over  others;  thrust 
not  thyself  upon  the  society  of  the  great  ones  of  the 
land.  Love  peace  and  pursue  after  it ;  love  all  men  and 
try  to  win  them  to  the  study  of  God's  word. 

He  who  runs  after  fame,  from  him  it  flees;  not  to 
grow  in  understanding  is  to  decrease;  not  to  acquire 
wisdom  when  we  may  is  to  sin  against  our  own  soul ; 
and  to  boast  of  one's  learning  is  to  lapse  into  ignorance. 

If  I  do  not  care  for  myself — who  will  ?  but  if  I  care 
for  myself  only — what  am  I  ?  and  if  not  now — when  ? 

Set  a  fixed  time  every  day  for  the  reading  of  God's 
Word,  promise  little  and  do  much ;  receive  every  man 
with  a  friendly  face. 

There  is  nothing  better  for  man  than  to  know  the 
value  of  silence ;  for  he  that  speaketh  much  can  hardly 
avoid  sin. 

Knowledge  of  the  Torah  availeth  much;  yet  the  chief 
purpose  of  its  study  is  :  the  doing  of  God's  will. 

332 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

The  three  strong  pillars  of  all  well-being  are:  Truth, 
Justice  and  Peace. 

CHAPTERS  OF  THE  PHARISAIC  FATHERS. 

liveth  long,  who  liveth  well ! 
All  other  life  is  short  and  vain ; 
He  liveth  longest  who  can  tell 
Of  living  most  for  heavenly  gain. 

He  liveth  long,  who  liveth  well ! 

All  else  is  being  flung  away ; 
He  liveth  longest,  who  can  tell 

Of  true  things  truly  done  each  day. 


XX.  Continuation. 

Discretion  shall  preserve  thee,  understanding  shall 
keep  thee. — Proverbs  ii.  n. 


3N  seeking  the  path  thou  shouldst  take  in  any  action, 
see  that  it  be  one  which  is  honorable  to  thyself  and 
gives  no  just  offense  to  others. 

Be  as  scrupulous  about  the  lightest  command  as 
about  the  weightiest  matter  of  duty,  for  no  man  can 
foresee  the  consequences  of  his  actions. 

Consider  three  things  that  thou  mayest  be  saved  from 
falling  into  sin :  Above  thee  there  is  an  All-seeing  Eye ; 
around  thee,  an  All-hearing  Ear,  and  all  thy  deeds  are 
recorded  as  in  a  book. 

How  beautiful  is  the  study  of  God's  Law  when  con- 

333 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

joined  with  a  worldly  avocation;    for   the  efforts  de- 
manded by  both  stifle  the  voice  of  temptation. 

The  Israelite  should  fulfill  the  Commandments  only 
from  the  love  of  God ;  but  if  this  love  does  not  constrain 
him,  let  him  be  obedient  still;  for,  in  doing  God's  will, 
in  the  end  he  will  learn  to  love  Him. 

CHAPTERS  OF  THE  PHARISAIC  FATHERS. 

AD  with  Thy  light,  and  glowing  with  Thy  love, 
So  let  me  ever  speak  and  think  and  move 
As  fits  a  soul  new-touched  with  life  from  Heaven, 
That  seeks  but  so  to  order  all  her  course 
As  most  to  show  the  glory  of  that  Source 

By  whom  her  strength,  her  hope,  her  life  are  given. 

¥ 

XXI.  Continuation. 

Ponder  the  path  of  thy  feet  that  all  thy  ways  may 
be  established.  Turn  not  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the 
left;  keep  thy  foot  from  evil. — Proverbs  iv.  26,  27. 


whom  the  fear  of  God  is  the  beginning  of 
wisdom,  his  wisdom  shall  endure  and  he  shall  not 
be  put  to  shame ;  and  he  who  is  as  zealous  in  good  works 
as  in  the  study  of  the  Word,  his  learning  will  avail  him 
much.  He  who  has  earned  the  love  of  his  fellow-men 
will  receive  favor  from  God. 

Sleeping  through  the  morning  hours,  carousing  at 
noondays,  childish  babbling  and  vulgar  company  in 
the  evening  waste  a  man's  life. 

A  mocking  spirit  and  a  frivolous  mind  are  forerunners 

334 


SUN  AND    SHIELD. 

of  immorality.  Tradition  is  a  rampart  around  the 
law;  charity  is  a  safeguard  of  wealth;  good  resolves 
are  a  fence  around  sobermindedness  and  silence  is  a 
hedge  around  wisdom. 

Store  up  knowledge  in  early  life ;  for  then  memory  is 
a  clean  page  whereon  it  is  easy  to  write ;  in  later  years 
memory  is  like  paper  which   is  already  covered  with 
various  writings  on  which  it  is  hard  to  write  legibly. 
CHAPTERS  OF  THE  PHARISAIC  FATHERS. 

D  oh  !  in  my  exceeding  weakness, 
Make  Thy  strength  perfect ;  Thou  art  strong : 
Aid  me  to  do  Thy  will  with  meekness, — 
Thou,  to  whom  all  my  powers  belong. 

Oh  !  let  me  feel  that  Thou  art  near  me ; 

Close  to  Thy  side,  I  shall  not  fear : 
Hear  me,  O  Strength  of  Israel,  hear  me ; 

Sustain  and  aid,  in  mercy  hear ! 

¥ 

XXII.  Continuation. 

I  have  taught  thee  in  the  way  of  wisdom  ;  I  have 
led  thee  in  the  right  paths ;  now,  when  thou  goest,  thy 
steps  shall  not  be  straightened ;  and  when  thou  run- 
nest  thou  shalt  riot  stumble. — Proverbs  iv.  n,  12. 


is  the  wise  man  ?  he  who  learns  from  every 
one  capable  to  instruct  him.  Who  is  the  strong 
man  ?  he  who  controls  his  passions.  Who  is  the  rich 
man  ?  he  who  knows  how  to  enjoy  his  portion  in  life; 
he  is  happy  in  this  life,  and  blessed  in  the  life  to  come. 


335 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Who  is  the  honored  man  ?  he  who  honors  his  fellow- 
men. 

Be  attentive  to  every  duty,  however  small,  and  flee 
from  every  sin,  however  trifling  it  may  seem;  for 
remember,  one  virtue  leads  to  another  just  as  one  sin 
opens  the  way  to  another. 

Despise  the  power  of  no  man,  and  hold  no  event  as 
too  removed  from  happening;  for  there  is  no  man  but 
has  his  day  and  no  thing  but  has  his  place  in  the  chain 
of  events. 

Use  not  thy  knowledge  of  Divine  things  as  a  crown 
wherewith  to  glory  before  men,  nor  as  a  spade  where- 
with to  dig  for  treasure;  for  verily,  those  who  do  this 
labor  in  vain. 

CHAPTERS  OF  THE  PHARISAIC  FATHERS. 

kO  should  we  live  that  every  hour 

May  die  as  dies  the  natural  flower — 
A  self-reviving  thing  of  power ; 

That  every  thought  and  every  deed 
May  hold  within  itself  the  seed 
Of  future  good  and  future  meed. 

XXIII.  Continuation. 

Be  strong  and  of  good  courage;    I  will  not  fail 
thee  nor  forsake  thee.— Joshua  i.  6. 


not  to  reason  with  a  man  whilst  he  is  in  the  heat 
of  anger;  obtrude  not  thy  consolations  where  the 
grief  is  still  fresh;  keep  not  a  man  too  strictly  to  a 

336 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

promise  made  hastily,  and  rush  not  in  to  see  a  man  in 
his  downfall. 

Look  not  so  much  upon  the  pitcher,  as  upon  what  it 
contains.  There  are  new  and  unsightly  vessels  which 
preserve  old  wine  of  the  best  sort ;  and  there  are  old  and 
costly  ones  which  contain  new  wine  and  of  the  poorest 
kind. 

These  are  the  three  overmastering  foes  to  a  blessed 
life:  Envy,  Lusting  and  Ambition. 

CHAPTERS  OF  THE  PHARISAIC  FATHERS. 

If  you  prepare  a  dish  of  food  carelessly  you  do  not 
expect  Providence  to  make  it  palatable;  neither  if, 
through  years  of  folly,  you  misguide  your  own  life,  need 
you  expect  Divine  interference  to  bring  round  every- 
thing at  last  for  the  best.  RUSKIN. 

E  highest  duties  oft  are  found 

Lying  on  the  lowest  ground, 
In  hidden  and  unnoticed  ways, 
In  household  works,  on  common  days ; 
Whate'er  is  done  for  God  alone, 
Thy  God  acceptable  will  own. 

XXIV.  Continuation. 

The  Lord  keepeth  mercy  for  thousands :  forgiveth 
iniquity,  transgression  and  sin ;  but  will  by  no  means 
clear  the  guilty. — Exodus  xxxiv.  7. 

Even  unto  his  day  of  death  Thou  waitest  for  the 
sinner  to  repent  and  be  forgiven. — From  Jewish 
Ritiial. 

337 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

^VERYTHING  is  foreknown  by  God,  but  man  is  a 
free  agent;  and  he  is  judged  according  to  the 
quality  of  his  acts.  All  that  we  possess  is  merely  a 
trust,  and  over  all  life  a  net  is  spread  out.  The  store- 
house is  open,  the  proprietor  sells  on  credit;  the  ledger 
lies  ready  and  the  purchaser's  hand  makes  the  entry ; 
whoever  wishes  may  come  and  borrow ;  but  the  collec- 
tors are  continually  going  the  rounds  of  the  debtors, 
and  receive  payment  from  them,  willingly  or  unwil- 
lingly. 

Learning  without  a  pious  life  is  likened  to  what  ? 
It  is  likened  to  a  tree  which  has  many  branches,  but 
few  roots — when  a  storm  cometh,  it  is  plucked  up  and 
thrown  to  the  ground.  As  the  Scriptures  say :  he  shall 
be  like  a  tamarisk  in  the  desert  and  shall  not  see  any 
good.  But  the  man  rich  in  knowledge  and  abounding 
in  good  deeds,  he  is  like  a  tree  which  is  not  moved  from 
its  place,  even  if  the  winds  blow  upon  it  from  the  four 
quarters  of  heaven. 

CHAPTERS  OF  THE  PHARISAIC  FATHERS. 

ONLY  add 

Deeds  to  thy  knowledge  answerable  ;  add  faith, 
Add  virtue,  patience,  temperance ;  add  love  ; 
.     .     .     Then  wilt  thou  not  be  loath 
To  leave  a  paradise,  but  shalt  possess 
A  paradise  within  thee,  happier  far  ! 

* 
XXV.          £0e  ;$$*  of  £i0(fa. 

With  Thee  is  the  fountain  of  life ;  in  Thy  light  we 
shall  behold  light. — Psalms  xxxvi.  9. 

338 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

is  the  Father  of  lights,  the  producer  of  the 
heavenly  bodies,  the  source  of  all  the  light  of 
knowledge,  all  the  light  of  wisdom,  all  the  light  of 
faith,  all  the  light  of  hope,  all  the  light  of  love,  all  the 
light  of  joy.  If  any  man  arise  in  his  generation  to  shine 
as  a  star  in  the  hemisphere  of  human  society,  God 
kindled  the  splendor  of  his  intellect  and  the  benign 
radiance  of  his  high  spiritual  character.  If  any  woman 
arise  to  brighten  a  home,  or  send  the  kindly  light  of  her 
sweetness  over  any  cheerless  portion  of  our  race,  it  was 
God  who  dwelt  in  her  heart,  and  smiled  through  her 
life.  If  on  the  coast  of  our  humanity,  we,  mariners  on 
life's  uncertain  sea,  behold  light-houses  so  placed  along 
the  shore  as  to  enable  us  to  take  bearings  and  shape  our 
courses  that  bring  us  to  our  havens  of  safety,  it  is  God 
who  has  erected  each  such  light-house  and  kindled  each 
such  pharos.  CHARLES  F.  DEEMS. 

GOD  of  light,  Thine  aid  impart 

To  guide  our  doubtful  way ; 
Thy  truth  shall  scatter  every  cloud 

And  make  a  glorious  day. 
Supported  by  Thy  heavenly  grace 

We'll  do  and  bear  Thy  will ; 
Thy  love  shall  make  each  burden  light 
And  every  murmur  still. 

XXVI.  Qcit  of  (piefc 

Then  shall  ye  call  upon  Me,  and  ye  shall  go  and 
pray  unto  Me,  and  I  will  hearken  unto  you ;  and  ye 
shall  seek  Me  and  find  Me,  when  ye  shall  search  for 
Me  with  all  your  heart.— Jeremiah  xxix.  12,  13. 

339 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

thou  knowest  for  certain  that  thy  heart  and 
mind  have  arrived  and  entered  before  God,  that 
He  has  brought  thee  near  to  Him  and  saluted  thee  and 
given  thee  charge  of  hearts  and  made  thee  their  steward 
and  physician :  then  turn  thy  gaze  to  the  creatures  of  the 
world  and  that  gaze  will  be  a  favor  unto  them.  And 
the  taking  the  world  out  of  the  hands  of  usurpers  and 
restoring  it  to  the  poor  and  claiming  thy  own  share  of 
it  will  be  an  act  of  piety  and  devotion  and  well-doing. 


Trust  in  God  in  this,  that,  should  you  know  of  any- 
one in  the  city  more  in  need  of  food  than  yourself,  you 
should  not  eat  your  food  yourself,  but  should  give  it  to 
him.  O  God,  if  I  serve  Thee  for  fear  of  hell,  then  burn 
me  in  hell,  and  if  I  serve  Thee  in  hope  of  heaven,  then 
forbid  me  heaven  ;  but  if  I  serve  Thee  for  Thine  own 
sake,  of  Thy  grace  withhold  not  from  me  Thine  eternal 
beauty.  PERSIAN. 


my  will  and  make  it  Thine, 
It  shall  be  no  longer  mine. 
Take  my  heart,  it  is  Thine  own, 
It  shall  be  Thy  royal  throne. 

¥ 

XXVII.          $pirifuaf  flftotrffc 


In  my  heart  have  I  treasured  up  Thy  sayings,  that 
I  may  not  sin  against  Thee. 

I  have  rejoiced  in  the  way  of  Thy  testimonies  more 
than  in  all  riches.  —  Psqlms  cxix.  //,  14. 


340. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ought  daily  or  weekly  to  dedicate  a  little  time  to 
the  reckoning  up  of  the  virtues  of  our  belong- 
ings— wife,  children,  friends — and  contemplating  them 
then  in  a  beautiful  collection.  And  we  should  do  so 
now,  that  we  may  not  pardon  and  love  in  vain  and  too 
late,  after  the  beloved  one  has  been  taken  away  from 
us  to  a  better  world.  JEAN  PAUL  F.  RJCHTER. 

We  cannot  always  be  doing  a  great  work,  but  we  can 
always  be  doing  something  that  belongs  to  our  con- 
dition. To  be  silent,  to  suffer,  to  pray  when  we  can- 
not act,  is  acceptable  to  God.  A  disappointment,  a 
contradiction,  a  harsh  word,  an  annoyance,  a  wrong 
received  and  endured  as  in  His  presence,  is  worth  more 
than  a  long  prayer ;  and  we  do  not  lose  time  if  we  bear 
its  loss  with  gentleness  and  patience,  provided  the  loss 
was  inevitable,  and  was  not  caused  by  our  own  fault. 

FENELON. 

/Jf\  WEAR  thee  well,  that  all  thy  weeds  be  clean, 
^•^     Honoring  God's  holy  day ;  else  thou  hast  harm. 
What  are  those  weeds  which  ye  may  wrap  you  in, 
They  that  shall  show  you  shrouded  pure  and  sheen  ? 
Good  works  they  are  which  thou  in  life  hast  wrought ; 
See  thou  be  found  both  fresh  and  fair  in  life. 

IP 

xxviii.  £0e  (Pe0fure  of  $e  ©etfg. 

Bless,  O  my  soul,  the  Lord  :  O  Lord ,  my  God 
Thou  art  very  great ;  Thou  art  clothed  with  honor 
and  majesty,  Thou  coverest  Thyself  with  light  as  with 
a  garment ;  Thou  stretchest  out  the  heavens  like  a 
curtain. — Psalms  civ.  /,  2. 

341 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Q^ATURE  is  still,  as  ever,  the  thin  veil 

^       Which  half  conceals,  and  half  reveals  the  face 

The  lineaments  supernal  of  our  King, — 

The  modifying  medium  through  which 

His  glories  are  exhibited  to  man. — 

The  grand  repository  where  He  hides 

His  mighty  thoughts  to  be  dug  out  like  diamonds; — 

Still  is  the  day  irradiate  with  His  glory, 

Flowing  in  steady,  sun-streaked,  ocean  gush 

From  His  transcendant  nature — still  at  night 

O'er  our  horizon  trail  the  sable  robes 

Of  the  Eternal  One,  with  all  their  rich 

Embroidery  and  emblazonment  of  stars. 

J.  STANYON  BIGG. 

f\)  EDEEM  mankind  from  mournful  ignorance ; 
V^     Do  Thou  dispel,  O  Father,  from  our  souls  this  fault. 
And  grant  that  we  attain  that  wisdom  high, 
On  which  relying,  Thou  dost  rule  the  world 
With  justice ;  so  that,  honored  thus  by  Thee, 
Thee  we  in  turn  may  honor,  and  my  hymn 
Unceasingly  Thy  works  may  praise,  as  doth  beseem 
A  mortal,  since  nor  men  nor  gods  can  know 
A  grander  honor  than  to  greatly  hymn 
The  universal  and  eternal  law.  CLEANTHES. 

¥ 

XXIX.         £0e  ^rone  of  (Bob. 

Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee  ?  And  what 
other  god  can  I  desire  with  Thee  ?  .  ,  .  Thy 
nearness  is  my  highest  good.  In  Thee  alone  do  I 
trust ;  and  all  Thy  works  will  I  declare. — Psalms 
Ixxiii.  25,  28. 

342 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

art  to  know  that  thy  soul  is  the  centre,  habi- 
tation, and  kingdom  of  God.  That,  therefore,  to 
the  end  the  sovereign  King  may  rest  on  that  throne  of 
thy  soul,  thou  oughtest  to  take  pains  to  keep  it  clean, 
quiet  and  peaceable — clean  from  guilt  and  defects; 
quiet  from  fears;  and  peaceable  in  temptations  and 
tribulations.  Thou  oughtest  always,  then,  to  keep  thine 
heart  in  peace,  that  thou  mayest  keep  pure  that  temple 
of  God ;  and  with  a  right  and  pure  intention  thou  art  to 
work,  pray,  obey  and  suffer  (without  being  in  the  least 
moved),  whatever  it  pleases  the  Lord  to  send  unto 
thee.  M.  MOLINOS. 

By  reflection,  by  restraint  and  control,  a  wise  man 
can  make  himself  an  island  which  no  floods  can  over- 
whelm. BUDDHISTIC. 

HfJlHERE  is  my  God,  my  soul? 

Is  He  within  thy  heart, 
Or  ruler  of  a  distant  realm 
In  which  thou  hast  no  part  ? 

Where  is  thy  God,  my  soul  ? 

Only  in  stars  and  sun  ? 
Or  have  the  holy  words  of  truth 

His  light  in  every  one  ? 

* 

XXX.    (pragcr  of  ffle  ^earning  ^ouf. 

My  soul  thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God !  — 
Psalms  xlii.  2. 


LESS  me  in  this  life  but  with  peace  of  my  con- 
science, command  of   my  affections,  the  love  of 


343 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Thyself  and  my  dearest  friends,  and  I  shall  be  happy 
enough  to  pity  Caesar.  These  are,  O  Lord,  the  humble 
desires  of  my  most  reasonable  ambition  and  all  I  dare 
call  happiness  on  earth;  wherein  I  set  no  rule  or  limit 
to  Thy  hand  or  providence;  dispose  of  me  according  to 
the  wisdom  of  Thy  pleasure ;  Thy  will  be  done,  though 
in  my  own  undoing.  SIR  THOMAS  BROWN. 

LL  the  world  is  by  Thy  counsel 

Still  sustained,  Thou  Root  of  all  things. 
All  that  is  and  all  that  has  been, 
All  that  shall  be,  all  that  can  be, 
Thou  art  Father,  Thou  art  Mother ; 
Thou  art  Voice  and  Thou  art  Silence, 
Thou  art  Nature's  inmost  Nature, 
Thou  art  Lord,  the  Age  of  Ages. 
If  I  dare  to  call  upon  Thee, 
I  would  hail  Thee,  Root  of  Order ! 
Turn  Thine  ear  to  me  in  pity, 
Beam  on  me  Thy  light  of  wisdom ; 
Shed  on  me  the  grace  abundant 
Of  a  life  at  peace  from  tumult. 
O,  defend  my  frame  from  sickness, 
And  the  rush  of  restless  passions, 
So  no  earthly  care  may  hinder 
My  blest  soul  from  rising  upwards. 

BISHOP  SYNESIUSO 
IV.  Century. 


344 


These  are  the  feasts  of  the  Lord,  even  holy  con- 
vocations which  ye  shall  proclaim  in  their  seasons. — 
Leviticus  xxiii.  4. 

And  Nehemiah  and  Ezra  and  the  Levites  who 
taught  the  people,  said  unto  them :  This  day  is  holy 
unto  the  Lord,  your  God;  mourn  not,  nor  weep. 

.  .  Neither  be  ye  sorry ;  for  the  joy  of  the  Lord 
is  your  strength. — Ne  hernia  h  viii.  9,  10. 


345 


irfg  of  g 


For  we  are  strangers  before  Thee,  and  sojourners 
as  were  all  our  fathers  ;  our  days  on  the  earth  are  as  a 
shadow,  and  there  is  none  abiding.  —  /.  Chronicles 
xxix.  75*. 

first  message  of  this  month  of  sacred  days  is  one 
of  sadness  ;  it  reminds  us  that  we  have  no  abiding 
place  on  earth.  How  long  our  stay  shall  last  —  none  can 
tell.  It  may  be  soon,  it  may  be  late  when  the  sands 
of  the  glass  are  run  out  ;  yet,  at  last  —  we  shall  part 
with  all  our  possessions  and  go  to  our  graves,  naked 
as  we  entered  this  world.  Remember  this,  O  mortal, 
in  thine  eager  chase  after  pleasures  and  thy  devotion  to 
gold  and  silver  and  all  good  things  of  this  world  ;  yet 
not  vainly  lamenting  as  those  who  have  no  hope  of  a 
world  which  is  the  home  of  the  spirit.  Whilst  living 
here,  "  build  thee  more  stately  mansions  "  for  thy  soul 
and  seek  thou  delights  that  are  not  swallowed  up  in  the 
grave.  —  Around  that  first  message  are  gathered,  like 
evening  clouds,  the  sacred  memories  of  our  hearts,  and 
the  shadows  of  those  gone  before  us  who  await  our 
coming  on  the  sunny  border  of  the  dark  river.  May 
their  presence  give  still  deeper  tones  to  the  prayer  : 
"  Teach  us,  O  God,  to  number  our  days  that  we  may 
apply  our  hearts  to  wisdom."  G.  G. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

EMEMBER  Him,  the  Only  One, 

Now,  ere  the  years  flow  by  ; 
Now  while  the  smile,  is  on  thy  lips, 
The  light  within  the  eyes. 

Now,  ere  for  thee  have  lost 

The  sun  his  glorious  light, 
Or  earth  rejoice  thee  not  with  flowers 

Nor  with  its  stars  —  the  night. 

* 
ii. 

•ftew  lt)ear;  IDa^  of  flDemorfal. 

I. 


generation  goeth  and  one  generation  cometh 
and  the  earth  remaineth  forever. 

Thou  hast  been  our  refuge  in  all  generations  ;  before 
mountains  were  created  and  the  earth  and  the  world 
was  brought  forth,  yea,  from  eternity  to  eternity  Thou 
art  God.  A  thousand  years  in  Thy  sight  are  as  a  yester- 
day when  it  is  passed,  and  as  one  of  the  watches  of  the 
night.  Of  old  hast  Thou  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
earth  ;  and  the  heavens  are  the  works  of  Thy  hands. 
They  shall  perish,  but  Thou  shalt  endure  ;  yea,  all  of 
them  shall  wax  old  like  a  garment,  as  a  vesture  shalt 
Thou  change  them,  and  they  shall  be  changed.  But 
Thou  remainest  the  same  and  Thy  years  shall  have  no 
end. 

The  Lord  is  our  judge,  the  Lord  is  our  lawgiver,  the 
Lord  is  our  king;  He  will  save  us. 

348 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  :  behold  I,  even  I  will  both 
search  my  sheep  and  seek  them  out,  as  a  shepherd  seek- 
eth  out  his  flock  in  the  day  that  he  is  among  his  flock 
which  is  scattered  and  I  will  deliver  them  out  of  all 
places  where  they  have  been  scattered  in  the  cloudy 
and  dark  day.  SCRIPTURE. 

@T  His  name  shall  heaven  and  earth 
Break  forth  in  praises 
With  a  joy  that  shall  not  cease  ; 
And  the  woods  shall  shout  and  clap 

Their  hands  in  gladness. 
For  the  Lord,  our  God,  has  visited 
His  people  speaking  peace. 

* 
HI. 


Das  of  Aemorial. 
II. 

,  O  God,  rememberest  what  was  wrought  from 
eternity  and  art  mindful  of  all  that  has  been 
formed  from  of  old.  Before  Thee  all  secrets  are  re- 
vealed and  the  multitude  of  hidden  things  from  the 
beginning.  There  is  no  forgetfulness  before  the  throne 
of  Thy  glory  and  nothing  is  concealed  from  Thine  eyes. 
.  .  .  Happy  is  the  man  who  forgeteth  Thee  not  and 
the  son  of  man  who  strengtheneth  himself  in  Thee,  for 
they  that  seek  Thee  shall  never  stumble,  neither  shall 
any  be  put  to  shame  who  trust  in  Thee. 

ANCIENT  JEWISH  LITURGY. 

349 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ORD,  Thy  heavenly  love  bestoweth 

All  the  good  my  spirit  knoweth, 
All  my  life-long  benedictions 
From  Thy  gracious  hand  they  came. 
May  Thy  hallowed  fear  enfold  me, 
May  Thy  perfect  law  uphold  me, 
That  my  soul  in  glad  submission 
To  Thy  great  and  awful  name, 
Praise  and  prayer  and  thanks  outpouring, 
Sanctifying  and  adoring, 
May  exalt  it,  and  extol  it, 

And  Thy  Unity  proclaim. 

SOLOMON  IB'N  GABIROL. 


IV.  £0e  ©eating  of  ®X<xn. 

I  have  seen  the  travail  which  God  hath  given  to 
the  sons  of  men  to  be  exercised  in  it.  He  hath  made 
everything  beautiful  in  its  time ;  also  He  hath  set  the 
love  of  the  world  in  their  hearts,  and  no  man  can  find 
out  the  work  that  God  hath  made  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end. — Ecclesiastes  in.  fo,  n. 


T^HOSE  born  into  the  world  are  doomed  to  die;  the 
dead,  to  live  on  again,  and  those  who  enter  the 
eternal  life,  to  be  judged.  Therefore,  let  it  be  recog- 
nized, understood  and  remembered,  that  He,  the 
Almighty,  the  Creator/  He  is  the  counsellor,  He  the 
judge,  He  the  witness,  He  the  accuser.  He  is  always 
ready  to  give  judgment;  and  before  Him,  there  is  no 
injustice,  no  oversight,  no  regard  for  rank,  no  bribery. 

350 


SUN   AND  SHIELD. 

Know  that  all  deeds  and  thoughts  will  appear  in  the 
account.  Accept  not  the  assurance  of  thy  passions, 
that  the  grave  will  be  a  place  of  refuge  for  thee.  For 
without  thy  consent  wert  thou  created,  wert  born  into 
the  world  without  thy  choice;  thou  art  now  living 
without  thine  own  volition,  without  thine  approval  thou 
shalt  at  last  die  ;  so  likewise,  without  thy  consent  thou 
wilt  have  to  render  account  before  the  Supreme  King, 
the  Holy  One,  blessed  be  He. 

CHAPTERS  OF  THE  PHARISAIC  FATHERS. 


it  behooveth  for  to  speak,  to  counsel,  and  to  sing 
Of  Him  whom  none  may  lightly  reck,  great  King  of  every  King  ; 
For  He  may  bind,  and  He  may  break,  and  He  to  bliss  may  bring, 
Lock  and  unbar  at  will,  mighty  o'er  everything  ! 

His  holy  name  be  hallowed  in  heaven  and  in  earth. 

Thou  wroughtest  fire,  wind,  water  ;  and,  for  fourth, 

That  of  which  men  are  made  :  the  mould  of  holy  earth  ; 

To  draw  us  nearer  to  Thee,  Thou  God  that  know'st  our  birth. 

OLD  ENGLISH. 
¥ 

V.  for  f0e  (penifenfiaf 

"Cbc  36alm  JBefore  tbe 
I. 

Good  and  just  is  the  Lord  :  therefore  showeth  He 
to  sinners  the  right  way.  —  Psalms  xocv.  8, 


right  way  is  Repentance,  whereby  the  merciful 
Father  has  bestowed  on  man  a  saving  gift.     It  is 
one  of  the  seven  things,  according  to  our  Sages,  which 


351 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

God  created  before  the  world  came  into  being  ;  like 
unto  a  king  who,  before  erecting  his  palace,  has  the 
ground  made  secure  on  which  the  structure  is  to  rest. 
Repentance  is  the  foundation  of  the  moral  world. 
Again  the  Sages  teach  :  Before  the  wound,  which  sin 
inflicts  upon  the  soul,  the  Heavenly  Physician  provided 
the  healing  ointment.  Wonderful  is  the  power  of  Re- 
pentance, for  it  reaches  to  the  throne  of  the  Merciful 
one.  But  Repentance  is  only  known  to  those  who  are 
of  a  lowly  and  contrite  spirit.  Then  let  the  Israelite 
check  the  pride  of  self-righteousness,  let  him  not 
imagine  that  his  piety  or  his  much  reading  of  God's 
Word  can  raise  him  above  the  need  of  Repentance. 
The  simple-minded  who  is  truly  sorry  for  his  sins,  may 
tower  far  above  him.  Moses  reached  the  highest 
degree  of  inspiration  only  because  he  was  more  humble 
than  any  other  man.  JACOB  HALEVY. 


erring  servant,  Lord,  doth  yearn 
For  Thy  consoling  grace  ; 
Spread  over  Him  its  healing  wing, 
His  guilt  do  Thou  efface. 

Were  not  Thy  word  :     Turn  back  from  sin 

And  I  will  turn  to  Thee, 
I,  like  a  helmsman  in  the  storm, 

Would  helpless  face  the  sea. 

O  let  my  penitence  to-day 

Be  my  soul's  surety  ; 
Contrite  I  vow  to  serve  Thee  well  ; 

Be  merciful  to  me  ! 

352 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


VI.  dJob's  <Bt>erf<x0fing 

II. 


The  Rock  of  Israel  spake  to  me  :  He  that  ruleth 
over  men  must  be  just,  ruling  in  the  fear  of  God  ;  and 
he  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  morning,  when  the  sun 
riseth,  even  a  morning  without  clouds  ;  as  the  tender 
grass  springing  out  of  the  earth  by  clear  shining  after 
rain.  —  //.  Samuel  xxiii.  3,  4. 


words  are  given  in  the  Bible  as  the  last 
words  of  King  David.  For  poetic  beauty,  for 
tenderness  and  pathos,  for  faith  and  hope,  they  deserve 
attention.  We  are  listening  to  a  fellow  mortal  who 
speaks  to  us  with  a  full  vision  of  death  before  his  eyes, 
turning,  as  dying  man  will  ever  turn,  first  to  the 
chequered  past,  then  to  the  unfinished  or  broken 
present,  and  lastly  to  the  hopeful  future.  He  speaks 
out  of  a  rich  experience  of  the  peace  and  bliss  which  a 
righteous  man  never  fails  to  win.  He  remembers  that 
this  peace  and  joy  of  soul  can  never  be  wanting  from  the 
deeds  and  desires  of  righteousness,  the  answer  of  a 
good  conscience  before  God.  That  is  part  of  God's 
everlasting  covenant  which  cannot  be  broken,  ordered 
in  all  things  and  sure  —  the  invariable  consequence  of 
the  heart  being  right  with  God. 

So,  at  the  beginning  of  this  new  year,  let  us  fortify 
our  courage  and  renew  our  strength  by  reading  again 
God's  covenant  of  grace  and  truth  written  on  every 
heart.  May  it  be  our  blessed  experience  to  draw  all 


353 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

our  hope  for  future  good  from  that  covenant  of  His, 
and  on  our  part  to  do  our  utmost  to  work  together  with 
him  in  the  correction  of  our  own  faults,  in  the  power  to 
bear  patiently  with  the  faults  of  others  ;  that  our  hearts 
and  our  homes  may  be  right  with  God,  and  righteous- 
ness, peace,  and  joy,  may  reign  therein,  like  morning 
when  the  sun  riseth,  a  morning  without  clouds. 

CHARLES  VOYSEY. 

3NTO  the  tomb  of  ages  past 
Another  year  hath  now  been  cast ; 
Shall  time  unheeded  take  its  flight, 
Nor  leave  one  ray  of  higher  light, 
That  on  man's  pilgrimage  may  shine 
And  lead  his  soul  to  spheres  divine  ? 

With  firm  resolve  your  bosoms  nerve, 
The  God  of  right  alone  to  serve ; 
Speech,  thought  and  act  to  regulate, 
By  what  His  perfect  laws  dictate ; 
Nor  from  His  sanctuary  stray 
By  worldly  idols  lured  away. 

» 

VII.         <Bob'0  (UXercg  Our  (Refuge. 

III. 

Enter  not  into  judgment  with  Thy  servant ;  for  in 
Thy  sight  shall  no  man  living  be  justified.  —  Psalm 
cxliii.  2t 


nothing  hinder  thee  to  pay  thy  vow  in  due  time, 
and  wait  not  until  death  to  be  justified. 
From  morning  until  evening  the  time  changeth  and 
all  things  are  speedy  before  the  Lord. 

354 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Say  not  thou  :  It  is  through  the  Lord  that  I  fell  away. 
— If  thou  wilt,  thou  shalt  keep  the  Commandments; 
and  to  perform  faithfulness  is  of  thine  own  good 
pleasure. 

He  hath  set  fire  and  water  before  thee  ;  thou  shalt 
stretch  forth  thy  hand  unto  whichsoever  thou  wilt. 

Bind  not  one  sin  upon  another,  for  in  none  thou  shalt 
remain  unpunished. 

Who  will  purify  him  that  sinneth  against  his  own 
soul  ?  and  who  will  honor  him  that  dishonoreth  his  own 
life? 

The  mercy  of  man  is  upon  his  neighbor  ;  but  the 
mercy  of  the  Lord  is  upon  all  flesh,  reproving  and 
chastening,  and  teaching  and  bringing  again  what  was 
lost  as  a  shepard  doth  his  flock.  ECCLESIASTICUS. 

O,  Thou  hast  set  before  Thine  eyes 

Our  misdeeds  and  our  errors ; 
Our  secret  sins  from  darkness  rise, 
With  their  awakening  terrors ; 
Who  can  abide  the  trying  hour  ? 
Or  who  escape  Thine  arm  of  power  ? 
We  flee  unto  Thy  mercy. 

¥ 

VIII.      <Jbrcjit>cnc60  to  f0 

IV. 

Wherefore  doth  a  living  man  complain,  a  man  for 
the  punishment  of  his  sins  ?  Let  us  search  and  try 
our  ways  and  turn  again  unto  the  Lord. — Lamenta- 
tions iii.  39.  40. 

355 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

LL  wisdom   is  with   the  fear  of  the  Lord  and  the 
doing  of  the  law. 


The  knowledge  of  wickedness  is  not  wisdom  and  the 
prudence  of  sinners  is  not  counsel. 

Better  is  one  that  hath  small  understanding  and 
feareth  God  than  one  that  hath  much  prudence  and 
transgresseth  the  law. 

Forgive  thy  neighbor  the  hurt  that  he  hath  done  thee 
and  then  thy  sins  shall  be  pardoned  when  thou  prayest. 
Man  cherisheth  anger  against  man  and  doth  he  seek 
healing  from  the  Lord?  Upon  a  man  like  himself  he 
hath  no  mercy  and  doth  he  make  supplication  for  his 
sins?  He  being  flesh  nourisheth  wrath,  who  shall  make 
atonement  for  his  sins?  Remember  thy  last  end  and 
cease  from  enmity.  Remember  corruption  and  death 
and  abide  in  the  Commandments.  Remember  the 
Commandments  and  be  not  wroth  with  thy  neighbor; 
and  remember  the  covenant  of  the  Highest  and  wink 
at  ignorance.  ECCLESIASTICUS. 


' ATH  my  heart  been  wavering  long  ? 
Have  I  dallied  oft  with  wrong  ? 

Now,  at  last,  I  firmly  say : 
All  my  will  to  Thee  I  give, 
Only  to  my  God  to  live, 

And  to  serve  Him  day  and  night. 

356 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

IX.  ©itnne  3ubcjmenf. 

V. 


What  is  man  that  Thou  shouldest  magnify  him  ? 
and  that  Thou  shouldest  set  Thy  heart  upon  him  ? 
and  that  Thou  shouldest  visit  him  every  morning  and 
try  him  every  moment  I—Job  vii.  //,  18. 


there  but  one  day  of  judgement?  Why,  for  us 
every  day  is  a  day  of  judgment — every  day  is  a 
Dies  Irse  and  writes  its  irrevocable  edict  in  the  flames  of 
the  West.  Think  you  that  judgment  waits  till  the 
doors  of  the  grave  are  opened  ?  It  waits  at  the  doors 
of  your  houses — it  waits  at  the  corners  of  your  streets ; 
we  are  in  the  midst  of  judgment — the  insects  that  we 
crush  are  our  judges — the  moments  we  fret  away  are 
our  judges,  the  elements  that  feed  us  judge  us  as  they 
minister — and  the  pleasures  that  deceive  us  judge  us  as 
we  indulge.  J.  RUSKIN. 

Secure  a  good  name  to  thyself  by  living  virtuously 
and  humbly ;  but  let  this  good  name  be  nursed  abroad, 
and  never  be  brought  home  to  look  upon  it :  let  others 
use  it  for  their  own  advantage ;  let  them  speak  of  it  if 
they  please ;  but  do  not  thou  use  it  at  all  but  as  an 
instrument  to  do  God  glory,  and  thy  neighbor  more 
advantage.  Let  thy  face,  like  Moses,  shine  to  others, 
but  make  no  looking-glass  for  thyself. 

JEREMY  TAYLOR. 

357 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

action,  whether  foul  or  fair, 

Is  ever  done  but  leaves  somewhere 

A  record  written  with  fingers  ghostly, 

As  a  blessing  or  curse,  and  mostly 

In  the  greater  weakness  or  greater  strength 

Of  the  acts  which  follow  it,  till  at  length 

The  wrongs  of  ages  are  redressed 

And  the  justice  of  God  made  manifest. 


X. 


VI. 

If  thou  return  to  the  Almighty,  thou  shalt  be  built 
up  ;  thou  shalt  put  away  iniquity  from  thy  tabernacles. 
—  Job  xxii.  23. 


EVER  reproach  a  man  with  the  sins  of  which  he 
has  repented.  God  hears  graciously  the  prayers 
of  him  who  receives  the  penitents  and  guards  them  from 
temptation. 

Brethren,  Holy  Writ  does  not  say:  "  and  God  saw  the 
sackcloth  and  the  ashes  of  the  people  of  Niniveh  "  and, 
therefore,  spared  them,  but  God  saw  their  works  that 
they  turned  from  the  evil  way  and  from  the  violence 
that  was  in  their  hands. 

Brethren,  be  exhorted  to  show  mercy  one  to  the  other, 
and  practice  charity  towards  the  poor  so  that  you  may 
find  mercy  in  Heaven. 

The  gates  of  Repentance  are  never  closed,  for  God 

358 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

desires  that  the  sinner  shall  return  and  live,  nay,  waits 
for  his  coming  until  the  day  of  his  death. 

Great  is  the  power  of  Repentance;  for  it  restores 
health  to  the  world,  hastens  the  redemption,  brings 
man  nearer  to  God,  saves  whole  bodies  as  well  as  indi- 
viduals from  the  evil  fruits  of  their  evil  deeds  and  pro- 
longs the  life  of  man.  THE  PHARISEES. 

/JT\  PENITENCE !  to  virtue  near  allied, 

^•^     Thou  canst  new  joys  e'en  to  the  blest  impart ; 

The  listening  angels  lay  their  harps  aside 

To  hear  the  music  of  thy  contrite  heart ; 
And  Heaven  itself  wears  a  more  radiant  face, 
When  charity  presents  thee  to  the  throne  of  grace. 


XI.    ^ojournere  Onfg  fetfee  &ur 

VII. 

I  am  a  stranger  and  sojourner  with  Thee,  O  God, 
as  all  my  fathers  were. — Psalms  xxxix.  12. 


WOULD  have  every  one  consider  that  he  is  in  this 
life  nothing  more  than  a  passenger,  and  that  he  is 
not  to  set  up  his  rest  here,  but  to  keep  an  attentive  eye 
upon  that  state  of  being  to  which  he  approaches  every 
moment,  and  which  will  be  for  ever  fixed  and  permanent. 
This  single  consideration  would  be  sufficient  to  extin- 
guish the  bitterness  of  hatred,  the  thirst  of  avarice  and 
the  cruelty  of  ambition.  Antiphanes,  a  Greek  poet, 
who  lived  a  hundred  years  before  Socrates,  said:  "  Be 

359 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

not  grieved  above  measure  for  thy  deceased  friends. 
They  are  not  dead,  but  have  only  finished  the  journey 
which  it  is  necessary  for  every  one  of  us  to  take.  We  our- 
selves must  go  to  that  great  place  of  reception  in  which 
they  are,  all  of  them,  assembled,  and,  in  this  general 
rendezvous  of  mankind  live  together  in  another  state  of 
being."  ADDISON. 

R  sin  is  handled,  truth  I  say 

In  words  and  doings  every  day ; 
But  another  handling  there  should  be : 
From  sin  by  shrift  to  make  thee  free 
Handle  thy  sin  in  fear  and  dread, 
Or  nought  but  pain  will  be  thy  meed ; 
Handle  thy  sins,  and  well  them  weigh, 
How  they  foredo  each  godly  way. 
Handle  them  so  to  rise  from  all 
That  after  none  may  make  thee  fall. 

¥ 

XII.        JUpmtua 

VIII. 

With  my  whole  heart  have  I  sought  Thee ;  O  let 
me  not  wander  from  Thy  Commandments.  I  will 
delight  myself  in  Thy  statutes ;  I  will  not  forget  Thy 
word. — Psalms  cxix.  10,  16. 


©SINGLE  sin,  however  apparently  trifling,  however 
hidden  in  some  obscure  corner  of  our  conscious- 
ness,— a  sin  which  we  do   not  intend  to  renounce, — is 
enough  to  render  real  prayer  impracticable.     A  course 
of  action  not  wholly  upright  and  honorable,  feelings  not 

360 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

entirely  kind  and  loving,  habits  not  spotlessly  chaste 
and  temperate, — any  of  these  are  impassable  obstacles. 
If  we  know  of  a  kind  act  which  we  might,  but  do  not 
intend  to,  perform, — if  we  be  aware  that  our  moral 
health  requires  the  abandonment  of  some  pleasure 
which  yet  we  do  not  intend  to  abandon,  here  is  cause 
enough  for  the  loss  of  all  spiritual  power. 

F.   P.  COBBE. 

E  building  and  another  pulling  down, 

What  profit  have  they  had  but  toil  ? 
One  praying  and  another  cursing, 
Whose  voice  will  the  Lord  listen  to  ? 
He  that  washeth  himself  after  touching  a  dead  body, 
And  toucheth  it  again, 
What  profit  hath  he  in  his  washing  ? 
Even  so  a  man  fasting  for  his  sins, 
And  going  again,  and  doing  the  same, 
Who  will  listen  to  his  prayer, 
And  what  profit  hath  he  in  his  humiliation  ? 

ECCLESIASTICUS. 
/H^\ROMISES  in  sorrow  made 
\fr'      Left,  alas,  too  long  unpaid ; 

Fervent  wishes,  earnest  thought 

Never  into  actions  wrought. 
Long  withheld,  we  now  restore  them, 
On  Thy  holy  altar  pour  them ; 
There  in  trembling  faith  to  leave  them 
We  present  them,  God  receive  them. 

¥ 

XIII.         £0e  ©ag  of  (Atonement 

This   shall    be   unto   you  a  Sabbath  of  Sabbaths, 
when  ye  shall  humble  your  souls. — Leviticus  ocvi.  j/. 

361 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

S  is  the  true  atonement  for  our  sins;  and  the 
word  assures  us  that  "a  contrite  spirit  the  Lord 
will  not  reject."  A  glance  upon  our  past  life  suffices 
to  bring  the  blush  of  shame  upon  our  cheeks.  How 
imperfect  it  all  looks;  how  fragmentary  the  best  we 
achieved  and  how  inadequate  compared  with  the  fine 
resolutions  we  have  formed !  What  poor  use  we  made 
of  the  opportunities  that  God  has  placed  in  our  way; 
how  small  our  improvements,  if  we  accomplished 
any  at  all!  Our  spirit  seems  ever  in  revolt  against 
God  as  though  He  always  wronged  us,  when  our 
hopes  are  not  fulfilled  and  things  do  not  go  just  as  we 
wanted  them  to  go!  How  hard-hearted,  how  selfish, 
how  proud,  how  impatient,  how  unforgiving,  how  dis- 
contented, aye,  how  cruel  we  can  be  at  times,  can  be 
and  are,  and,  sad  to  think,  shall  be  again  despite  our 
confessions,  despite  our  vows,  despite  our  remorses; 
we  should  not  even  dare  to  offer  our  humiliation  as  an 
atonement  did  we  not,  at  the  same  time,  dare  to  hope 
that  God  will  help  us  in  our  weakness,  if  only  we  are 
instant  in  prayer  and  set  Him  always  before  our  eyes. 
Let  me  do  this  from  this  day  forward,  till  the  heart 
shall  be  satisfied  of  His  eternal  goodness.  G.  G. 

ONG  did  I  toil  and  knew  no  earthly  rest; 

Far  did  I  rove,  and  found  no  certain  home. 
At  last  I  found  them  in  His  sheltering  breast, 

Who  ope's  His  arms  and  bids  the  weary  come; 
With  Him  I  found  a  home,  a  rest  divine, 
And  I  since  then  am  His  and  He  is  mine. 

362 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XIV.  (Reconciliation. 


Have  I  any  pleasure  at  all  that  the  wicked  should 
die  ?  saith  the  Lord  God,  and  not  that  he  should  re- 
turn from  his  ways  and  live  ? — Ezckiel  xviii.  23. 


>HAT  can  there  be  in  our  reconciliation  to  God  that 
is  so  hard  that  it  requires,  if  I  may  use  the  expres- 
sion, such  a  complicated  apparatus  of  dogma  and  cere- 
monial? Why,  the  desire,  if  real,  is  half  of  the  fulfill- 
ment ;  God  is  not  a  God  of  conditions  and  stipulations ; 
else  were  he  no  God  of  mercy  at  all.  He  would,  in 
levying  a  tax,  merely  grant  what  is  the  penitent's  due. 
Who  will  gainsay  Shakespeare  when  he  declares: 

The  quality  of  mercy  is  not  strained : 
It  droppeth  as  the  gentle  rain  from  heaven 
Upon  the  place  beneath ;  it  is  twice  blest — 
It  blesseth  him  that  gives  and  him  that  takes ; 
'Tis  mightiest  in  the  mightiest ;  it  becomes 
The  throned  monarch  better  than  his  crown. 

In  the  mouth  of  the  prophets  no  cry  is  heard  oftener 
than  the  call:  Return,  return;  repent  and  live!  Can 
such  an  invitation  come  from  one  who  makes  the  road 
of  the  sinner  hardest  when  he  is  inclined  to  be  recon- 
ciled arid  accepted  again  ?  No,  it  is  not  so  difficult  to 
be  reconciled  to  God!  not  half  as  difficult  as  to  man, 
and  it  is  here  where  we  need  much  training,  much  dis- 
cipline, much  practice,  much  self-conquest;  ay,  and  the 
strength  of  a  deeper  faith  than  is  required  for  being 
reconciled  to  God.  G.  G. 

363 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Y  faithful  servant,  Lord,  doth  yearn 
For  Thy  consoling  grace  ; 
Spread  over  him  its  healing  wing, 
His  guilt  do  Thou  efface. 

¥ 

XV.  jferfiffcfe  of  (gejoicing. 


Thou  shalt  rejoice  in  thy  feast,  thou  and  thy  son, 
and  thy  daughter,  thy  man-servant  and  thy  maid- 
servant, and  the  Levite,  the  stranger,  and  the  father- 
less, and  the  widow  that  are  within  thy  gates.  — 
Deuteronomy  xvi.  14. 


|O  not  go  back  to  monkish  days  and  take  on  ascetic 
ideas  of  religion.  If  you  will  go  back,  go  to  Jew- 
ish times,  where  men  worshipped  largely  in  festivities; 
where,  when  they  came  to  the  temple,  they  came  with 
such  outbursts  of  pleasure,  such  uproarious  rejoicings, 
that  the  writers,  who  described  the  tumult  which  pre- 
vailed on  such  occasions,  spoke  of  it  as  the  sounds  of 
mighty  thunderings  and  the  voice  of  many  waters. 
The  Jews  were  cheerful.  They  had  not  much  mirth, 
but  they  had  great  hilarity.  The  Old  Testament  is  full 
of  cheerfulness,  of  buoyancy  and  commands  to  it. 

HENRY  W.   BEECHER. 

All  godlike  things  are  joyous.  They  inherit  joy  by 
their  own  right.  They  sing  songs  in  the  soul  even 
amidst  the  agonies  of  nature.  There  is  no  making 
them  otherwise  than  joyous.  They  have  touched  God, 
and  so  they  carry  with  them  an  irresistible  gladness 

364 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

everywhere.  They  have  an  unquenchable  sunshine  of 
their  own,  which  the  surrounding  darkness  only  makes 
more  startlingly  bright.  F.  W.  FABER. 

@  DEITY  believed,  is  joy  begun  ; 
A  Deity  adored,  is  joy  advanced  ; 
A  Deity  beloved,  is  joy  matured. 
Each  branch  of  piety  delight  inspires. 


XVI.  jfedrf  of  £a6ernacfc0. 

I. 


palms. 

And  he  carved  all  the  walls  of  the  house  round 
about  with  carved  figures  of  Cherubim  and  palm-trees 
and  open  flowers,  within  and  without.  —  /.  Kings  vi. 


OffLMIGHTY  God!  when  round  Thy  shrine 
^•*      The  palm-tree's  waving  branch  we  twine, 

(Emblem  of  life's  eternal  ray 

And  love  that  fadeth  not  away)  ; 

We  bless  the  flowers,  adorned  all, 

We  bless  the  leaves  that  never  fall, 

And  hopeful  say  :  In  Eden  thus 

The  tree  of  life  may  flower  for  us. 

The  joy  in  God  is  your  strength.  —  Nehemiah. 

Give  not  thy  soul  over  to  sorrow  and  afflict  not 
thyself  in  thine  own  counsel.  Gladness  of  heart  is  the 
life  of  man,  and  the  joyfulness  of  a  man  is  his  length  of 
days.  Care  bringeth  on  old  age  before  the  time. 

365 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

The  soul  of  man  should  be  as  a  glittering  mirror ;  when 
there  is  rust  on  the  mirror  the  face  is  not  reflected  by 
it.  So  when  there  is  sin  in  the  man  he  cannot  see  God. 

WISDOM  OF  SOLOMON. 

TAKE  Joy  home, 

And  make  a  place  in  thine  own  heart  for  her, 
And  give  her  time  to  grow,  and  cherish  her ! 
Then  will  she  come  and  often  sing  to  thee 
When  thou  art  working  in  the  furrows !  ay, 
Or  weeding  in  the  sacred  hour  of  dawn. 
It  is  a  comely  fashion  to  be  glad — 
Joy  is  the  grace  we  say  to  God. 


XVII.  Continuation. 

II. 

Make  us  rejoice  according  to  the  days  wherein  we 
have  been  afflicted  and  the  years  wherein  we  have 
seen  trouble. — Psalms  xc.  15, 


is  possible,  when  the  future  is  dim,  when  our 
depressed  faculties  can  form  no  bright  ideas  of  the 
perfection  and  happiness  of  a  better  world — it  is  pos- 
sible still  to  cling  to  the  conviction  of  God's  merciful 
purpose  toward  His  creatures,  of  His  parental  goodness 
even  in  suffering;  still  to  feel  that  the  path  of  duty, 
though  trodden  with  a  heavy  heart,  leads  to  peace; 
still  to  be  true  to  conscience;  still  to  do  our  work,  to 
resist  temptation,  to  be  useful,  though  with  diminished 


SUN   AND  SHIELD.  ' 

energy,  to  give  up  our  wills  when  we  cannot  rejoice 
under  God's  mysterious  providence.  In  this  patient, 
though  uncheered,  obedience,  we  become  prepared  for 
light.  The  soul  gathers  force. 

WILLIAM  E.  CHANNING. 

For  the  wise,  the  remedy  for  their  errors  is  reparation, 
not  regret.  Regret  consumes  the  heart,  but  the  effort 
to  make  good  an  error  fills  it  with  a  noble  pride.  In 
ancient  Egypt  regret  was  numbered  among  the  forty- 
two  deadly  sins.  One  of  the  principal  Commandments 
is :  Thou  shalt  not  consume  thy  heart. 

ANON. 

The  human  heart  is  like  a  millstone  in  a  mill ;  when 
you  put  wheat  under  it,  it  turns  and  grinds  and  bruises 
the  wheat  to  flour;  if  you  put  no  wheat,  it  still  grinds 
on,  but  then  'tis  itself  it  grinds  and  wears  away. 

MARTIN  LUTHER. 
¥ 

XVIII.  Continuation. 

III. 

I  will  praise  Thee,  O  Lord,  with  my  whole  heart ; 
I  will  show  forth  all  Thy  marvelous  works.  I  will  be 
glad  and  rejoice  in  Thee,  I  will  sing  praise  to  Thy 
name,  O  Thou  most  high. — Psalms  ix.  /,  2. 


Divine  Law,  perfect  in  every  respect,  is  to  lead 
us   to   perfection,    as    one    who    knew     testifies. 
367 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

"  The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  restoring  the  soul;  the 
testimony  of  the  Lord  is  sure,  making  wise  the  simple." 
But  this  same  Divine  Law  never  recommends  self- 
mortification;  on  the  contrary,  it  aims  at  inducing  man 
to  live  by  nature's  laws  and  to  keep  to  the  golden  mean, 
so  that  he  may  eat  and  drink  and  love  in  moderation, 
do  right  and  justice,  and  live  in  the  society  of  his 
fellow-men.  He  is  nowhere  told  to  retire  to  dens, 
mountains  or  deserts,  to  wear  hair  garments  on  his 
naked  body,  or  to  afflict  it  otherwise.  And  so  we  find 
that  the  Lord  replies,  through  His  prophet,  to  those 
who  ask,  whether  they  shall  keep  the  fast-day  of  the 
fifth  month  or  not.  "  When  ye  fasted  and  mourned  in 
the  fifth  and  seventh  month,  even  those  seventy  years, 
did  you  at  all  fast  unto  me,  even  to  me  ?  And  when  ye 
did  eat  and  when  ye  did  drink,  did  ye  not  eat  for  your- 
selves and  drink  for  yourselves?"  And  again:  "The 
fasts  shall  be  to  the  house  of  Judah  joy  and  gladness 
and  cheerful  feasts;  therefore  love  truth  and  peace." 
Understand  now  that  by  "Truth,"  is  intended,  intel- 
lectual perfection  and  by  "Peace,"  moral  conduct  by 
which  peace  is  secured  in  the  world. 

MOSES  MAIMONIDES. 


AVE  hope  !  though  clouds  environ  round 

And  gladness  hides  her  face  in  scorn, 
Put  thou  the  shadow  from  thy  brow, 
No  night  but  has  its  morn. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XIX.  Continuation. 

IV. 


Only  fear  ye  the  Lord,  and  serve  Him  in  truth  with 
all  your  heart ;  for  consider  what  great  things  He  hath 
done  for  you. — /.  Samuel  xii.  24. 


CHILDREN  of  Israel,  there  is  but  one  source  of 
happiness  for  all  mankind — the  favor  of  God,  for 
He  alone  is  able  to  give  good  things  to  those  that  de- 
serve them  and  to  deprive  those  of  them  that  sin 
against  Him.  .  .  .  Virtue  itself  is  indeed  the  old- 
est and  first  of  blessings,  and  bestows  abundance  of 
other  blessings  afterwards,  so  that  your  exercise  of 
virtue  towards  other  men  will  make  your  own  lives 
happy  and  render  you  more  glorious  than  other  nations 
and  secure  you  an  undisputed  reputation  with  posterity. 

FLAVIUS  JOSEPHUS. 

The  name  of  God  must  be  so  holy  to  us  that  we 
should  never  blaspheme  anything  others  call  sacred, 
although  we  know  that  they  are  a  prey  to  error;  more- 
over, as  those  whom  we  offend  will  naturally  retaliate 
by  blaspheming  our  God,  it  is  we  who  cause  His  name 
to  be  desecrated  amongst  the  nations. 

PHILO  JUD^EUS. 

E  by  one  thy  duties  wait  thee, 
Let  thy  whole  strength  go  to  each ; 
Let  no  future  dreams  elate  thee 

Learn  thou  first  what  these  can  teach. 

369 


SUN  AND  SHIELD 

One  by  one  bright  gifts  of  heaven, 

Joys  are  sent  thee  here  below ; 
Take  them  readily  when  given. 

Ready,  too,  to  let  them  go. 

XX.  Continuation. 

V. 


Whether  a  man  be  rich  or  poor,  if  he  have  a  good 
heart  toward  the  Lord,  he  shall  at  all  times  rejoice 
with  a  cheerful  countenance. — Ecclesiasticus. 


GOD  of  my  fathers  and  Lord  of  mercy  who  hast 
made  all  things  with  Thy  word,  and  ordained  man 
through  Thy  wisdom,  that  he  should  have  dominion 
over  the  creatures  Thou  hast  made,  and  order  the 
world  according  to  equity  and  righteousness  and  exe- 
cute judgment  with  an  upright  heart :  Give  me  wisdom 
and  reject  me  not  from  among  Thy  children.  For  I, 
Thy  servant  and  son  of  Thy  handmaid,  am  weak  and 
of  short  time  and  too  young  for  the  understanding  of 
judgment  and  of  laws.  For,  if  a  man  be  never  so  per- 
fect among  the  children  of  men,  yet,  if  Thy  wisdom  be 
not  with  him,  he  shall  be  nothing  regarded.  .  .  . 
What  man  is  he  that  can  know  the  counsel  of  God  ?  or 
who  can  think  what  the  will  of  the  Lord  is  ?  The 
thoughts  of  man  are  feeble  and  vacillating  and  our  de- 
vices are  uncertain.  For  the  corruptible  body  presseth 
down  the  soul  and  the  earthly  tabernacle  weigheth  down 
the  mind  that  museth  on  many  things.  Thy  counsel, 

370 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

who  hath  known,  except  Thou  give  wisdom  and  send 
Thy  holy  spirit  from  above  ?  So  the  ways  of  them  that 
lived  on  earth  were  reformed  and  men  were  taught  the 
things  that  were  pleasing  unto  Thee  and  were  saved 
through  wisdom.  THE  WISDOM  OF  SOLOMON. 

Anybody  who  is  as  wise  as  a  serpent  can  afford  to 
be  as  harmless  as  a  dove. — Josh  Billings. 

A  wise  man  gets  learning  of  those  who  have  none 
of  their  own. — Scottish  Proverb. 

It  is  better  to  sit  in  prison  with  a  wise  man  than  in 
paradise  with  a  fool. — Russian  Proverb. 


XXI.  Continuation. 

VI. 

He  that  planted  the  ear,  shall  He  not  hear  ? 
He  that  formed  the  eye,  shall  He  not  see  ? 

— Psalm  xciv.  9. 

shall  we  praise  the  Uprearer  of  the  realm 
Of  the  high  heaven,  and  the  Maker's  might, 
And  His  mind's  wisdom,  Father  of  the  world; 
Yea,  of  all  wondrous  workings  He  has  set 
The  first  forthcomings — Lord  for  evermore ! 
He  for  earth's  children  roofed  the  round  of  heaven, 
And  laid  this  lower  earth,  Holy  in  all, 
Guardian  of  men,  great  God  for  evermore. 

CAEDMON. 
371 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Thy  heaven  on  which  'tis  bliss  to  look 
Shall  be  my  pure  and  shining  book, 

Where  I  shall  read  in  words  of  flame 
The  glories  of  Thy  wondrous  name. 

There's  nothing  bright,  above,  below, 

From  flowers  that  bloom  to  stars  that  glow, 

But  in  its  light  my  soul  can  see 
Some  feature  of  Thy  Deity. 

There's  nothing  dark,  below,  above, 

But  in  its  gloom  I  trace  Thy  love, 
And  meekly  wait  that  moment,  when 

Thy  touch  shall  turn  all  bright  again. 

THOMAS  MOORE. 

The  Power  that  develops  life  and  love  in  human 
hearts  is  itself  life  and  love  and  an  infinite  heart. 
There  is  an  ear  that  hears  and  a  tenderness  that 
pities.  I  know  no  modern  knowledge  that  forbids 
this  fai  her  does  it  seem  to  me  a  necessity 

of  all  we  know.  .  .  .  Above  our  troubled  wak- 
ing and  our  troubled  sleep  alike  watches  our  Father 
and  our  Mother  —  God  !  —  Minot  J.  Savage. 

¥ 

XXII.          Qfc  €fo0ing  jfecfittC 

Sb'mini  Btseretb. 

And  thou  shalt  come  unto  the  priests,  the  Levites, 
and  unto  the  judge  that  shall  be  in  those  days  ;  and 
they  shall  show  thee  the  sentence  of  judgment.  — 
9. 


372 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

3UDAISM  is  essentially  a  religion  of  life.  Its  end  is 
moral  perfection  and  the  elevation  of  mankind  to 
all  that  is  holy  and  pure  —  to  God.  Its  mission  is  the 
universal  acknowledgment  of  the  unity  of  the  Supreme 
Being  and  the  union  of  all  God's  children  in  a  common 
bond  of  brotherhood.  It  is  no  sectarian,  no  national 
religion.  It  was  not  vouchsafed  to  Israel  for  the  happi- 
ness of  the  few  merely,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  many. 
It  promulgates  no  principles  which  have  not  for  their 
aim  the  permanent  welfare  of  the  human  race.  It  is 
truly  the  religion  of  the  world,  imparted  to  Israel  only 
that,  through  their  instrumentality,  mankind  may  ac- 
quire religious  truth  and  thus  become  good  and  happy. 
In  diffusing  the  blessings  of  their  mission,  then,  it  is 
clearly  the  duty  of  Israel  to  abandon  every  doctrine, 
every  idea,  every  custom,  every  form  which  may  tend 
to  obscure  the  true  beauties  of  their  hallowed  faith. 
The  principles  of  religion  alone  are  eternal.  They  pro- 
ceed from  God  and  must  be  as  immutable  as  Himself. 
Not  so  is  it  with  the  form.  Religion  being  life,  lives 
with  man  and  is  a  portion  of  his  nature  ;  hence  the  ex- 
ternal aids  to  religion,  the  forms,  the  ceremonies  must 
be  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  man,  as  these  vary 
according  to  the  exigencies  of  time,  place  and  circum- 
stances. RAPHAEL  D'C.  LEWIN. 


Thee  in  all  discerning 
In  sorrow,  as  in  joy, 
We  see  hope's  beacon  burning, 
Find  peace  without  alloy. 


373 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Then  are  we  at  the  fountain 
On  life's  transfigured  mountain 
And  nought  can  there  annoy. 


XXIII. 


jfeast  of  tbe  Maccabees. 

This  is  the  word  of  the  Lord  unto  Zerubbabel, 
saying :  Not  by  host  nor  by  might  (is  liberty  gotten), 
but  by  my  spirit, — Zechariah  iv.  6. 


ock  of  Ages,  let  our  song 

Praise  Thy  saving  power; 
Thou,  amidst  the  raging  foes, 

Wast  our  shelf  ring  tower. 
Furious  they  assailed  us, 
But  Thine  arm  availed  us, 
And  Thy  word 
Broke  their  sword, 
When  our  own  strength  failed  us. 

Syria's  king  had  in  his  pride 

Boastful  undertaken  : 
Judah's  God  shall  be  dethroned 

And  His  law  forsaken. 
Fire  and  sword  shall  serve  him  ; 
No  resistance  swerve  him 
From  his  bent, 
No  lament 
Of  the  Jews  unnerve  him. 


374 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

But  he  knew  not  yet  that  faith 

Which  is  death-defying, 
And,  for  victory,  not  on  man, 

But  on  God  relying  ; 
See  the  few,  the  humble 
Make  the  mighty  stumble  ; 
And  the  yoke, 
Stroke  on  stroke, 
From  the  nation  crumble. 

Kindling  new  the  holy  lamps, 

Priests,  approved  in  suffering, 
Purified  the  nation's  shrine, 

Brought  to  God  their  offering. 
And  His  courts  surrounding 
Hear,  in  joy  abounding, 
Happy  throngs 
Chant  their  songs 
With  a  mighty  sounding! 

Children  of  the  Martyr-race, 
Whether  free  or  fettered, 
Wake  the  echoes  of  those  songs 

Where  ye  may  be  scattered  '. 
Yours  the  message  cheering, 
That  the  time  is  nearing 
Which  shall  see 
All  men  free, 
Tyrants  disappearing.  G.  G, 

375 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

XXIV. 


I. 

And  the  Lord  spake  to  Moses  :  Go  unto  Pharao 
and  speak  to  him  :  Let  my  people  go  free,  that  they 
may  serve  me. — Exodus  viii.  i. 


,  to  my  mind,  the  first  country  where  the 
oppressed  of  every  land  found  a  home,  was  the 
great  civil  organization  that  regarded  it  to  be  her  mis- 
sion to  uplift  all  men  to  the  dignity  of  self-government 
and  to  implant  in  their  hearts  a  profound  love  and 
reverence  for  law  and  order;  for  America  trusted  the 
people  who,  when  educated,  would  see  their  true  happi- 
ness to  lie  in  industrial  and  peaceable  pursuits.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  America  had  made  a  mighty  depart- 
ure from  what  ruled  in  the  civilized  nations  of  Europe, 
where  the  few  were  rich  and  powerful,  the  many  poor 
and  dependent,  and  had  established  herself  upon  that 
principle  which  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  true  national 
greatness — the  equality  of  man. 

FATHER  SYLVESTER  MALONE. 

ANCIENT   MELODY. 
'OD  of  Might, 
God  of  Right, 

Thee  we  give  all  glory ! 
Thine  the  praise 
In  our  days 

(As  in  ages  hoary), 
When  we  hear, 
Year  by  year, 

Our  redemption's  story. 

376 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Now  as  erst, 
When  Thou  first 

Mad'st  the  proclamation, 
Warning  loud 
Ev'ry  proud, 

Ev'ry  tyrant  nation, 
We  Thy  fame 
Still  proclaim, 

God  of  our  salvation. 

G.  G. 


XXV.  Continuation. 

II. 


Keeping  the  law  is  multiplying  offerings,  and  tak- 
ing heed  to  the  Commandments,  is  offering  a  peace- 
offering.  He  that  requiteth  a  good  turn  offereth  fine 
flour,  and  he  that  giveth  alms  a  thank-offering.  To 
depart  from  unrighteousness  is  a  propitiation. — Eccle- 
siasticus. 


Ij  would  be  in  vain  were  my  life  not  devoted  to 
the  interest  of  my  fellow-men.  No  matter  how 
the  priest  may  regard  all  other  considerations,  here  is 
one  he  cannot  ignore  without  losing  his  lawful  standing 
before  God  and  men.  It  is  to  treat  with  all  men  on 
just  and  fair  principles;  to  know  them  only  as  they  are, 
men  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  attributes  of  won- 
derful power  and  greatness  that  lift  us  all  to  the  very 
throne  of  God.  Truly,  in  God  we  live  and  move  and 

377 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

have  our  being.  And  when  men  realize  this  truth  and 
see  its  application,  they  must  logically  be  drawn  to  Him 
whom  they  see,  man,  and  to  Him  whom  they  do  not 
see,  save  in  His  creatures,  and  warmed  into  love  and 
praise  of  His  sacred  majesty.  I  have  done  in  my  sphere 
of  life  all  I  could  to  help  the  individual,  irrespective 
of  nationality  or  creed  or  color. 

FATHER  SYLVESTER  MALONE. 

@ND  thus  to  heaven  our  pleading  accents  call, 
May  wrong  and  strife  among  us  disappear, 
And  when  their  sacred  rights  are  given  to  all  , 
May  truth  and  love  lead  in  a  golden  year. 

|P 

XXVI.  Continuation. 

III. 

Talk  no  more  so  exceeding  proudly  ;  let  not 
arrogancy  come  out  of  your  mouth  ;  for  the  Lord  is  a 
God  of  knowledge,  and  by  Him  actions  are  weighed. 
The  bows  of  the  mighty  men  are  broken,  and  they 
that  stumbled  are  guirded  with  strength.  —  /.  Samuel 


T  one  resolution  be  mine.  Whatsoever  else  thou 
puttest  on,  be  thou,  O  my  soul,  clothed  with 
humility.  Whatever  else  thou  wearest,  let  this  be  the 
garment  which  wraps  thee  from  head  to  foot,  the  near- 
est and  closest  of  all.  Exchange  thou  this  for  no  other, 
though,  to  use  the  language  of  an  Eastern  Sage,  the 
mantle  of  chosroes  were  offered  thee  in  its  stead. 

RICHARD  CH.  TRENCH. 

378 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

No  man  had  ever  a  point  of  pride  that  was  not  in- 
jurious to  him.  The  stag  in  the  fable  admired  his  horns 
and  blamed  his  feet,  but  when  the  hunter  came,  his  feet 
saved  him,  and,  afterwards  caught  in  the  thicket,  his 
horns  destroyed  him.  EMERSON. 

I  am  a  man  and  I  deem  nothing  human  alien  to  me. 

TERENCE. 

The  Church-Father  Augustine  relates  that  when 
these  words  were  first  heard  from  the  stage,  the 
audience,  though  many  of  them  rude  and  ignorant,  broke 
out  into  thunders  of  applause. 

_/fe\THER  and  Helper  !  plant  within  each  bosom 
^j)     The  seeds  of  holiness,  and  bid  them  blossom 
In  fragrance  and  in  beauty  bright  and  vernal, 

And  spring  eternal. 

Then  place  them  in  Thine  everlasting  gardens, 
Where  angels  walk,  and  seraphs  are  the  wardens  ; 
Where  every  flower,  escaped  through  death's  dark  portal, 

Becomes  immortal. 


XXVII. 


IV. 

Observe  the  month  of  Abeeb  (Spring)  and  keep 
the  Passover  unto  the  Lord  ;  for  in  the  month  of  Abeeb 
the  Lord  God  brought  thee  forth  out  of  Egypt  by 
night.  —  Deuteronomy  xvi.  /. 

379 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

T^HRICE  blessed  Spring  !  thou  bearest  gifts  divine, 
Sunshine  and  song  and  fragrance,  all  are  thine. 

Nor  unto  earth  alone, — 
Thou  hast  a  blessing  for  the  human  heart, 
Balm  for  its  wounds,  and  healing  for  its  smart, 

Telling  of  winter  flown ; 
And  bringing  hope  upon  thy  rainbow  wing, 
Type  of  eternal  life — thrice  blessed  Spring  ! 

WILLIAM  H.  BURLEIGH. 


When,  after  a  long,  frigid,  barren  winter,  the  spring 
comes  and  loves  the  earth  a  little  while,  how  wondrous 
is  the  change  that  takes  place  !  When  the  month  of 
May  comes  and  sits  upon  the  North  as  a  bird  upon  her 
nest,  there  comes  forth  from  under  its  feathers  sounds 
of  new  life;  the  forest  echoes  with  the  voices  of  joyous 
songsters  ;  the  roots  start ;  the  grass  grows  ;  the  air 
smells  sweet ;  all  things  are  full  of  richness  and  beauty. 
Just  so  it  is  when  spring  comes  to  the  soul — when  the 
heart  is  touched  with  the  power  of  love.  How  in- 
stantly, under  such  circumstances,  does  there  grow  up 
beauty,  and  fitness,  and  satisfaction !  When  it  is  human 
heart  that  touches  human  heart,  what  a  wondrous  spring 
it  brings !  But,  oh,  when  it  is  the  heart  of  God  that 
brings  spring  to  our  hearts ;  when  it  is  the  heart  of  God 
that  sets  every  root,  and  every  bud,  and  every  leaf  in  us 
a-growing,  how  wondrous  is  the  beauty  that  is  evoked ! 
how  wondrous  is  the  promise  of  fruit  that  is  held  out  ! 

HENRY  W.  BEECHER. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD 

E  blue  sky  is  the  temple's  arch, 
Its  transept,  earth  and  air ; 
The  music  of  its  starry  march 

The  chorus  of  a  prayer. 
So  nature  keeps  the  reverend  frame 

With  which  her  years  began, 
And  all  her  signs  and  voices  shame 
The  prayerless  heart  of  man. 

¥ 

XXVIII.  Continuation. 

V. 


Behold,  all  souls  are  mine;  as  the  soul  of  the 
father,  so  also  the  soul  of  the  son.  The  soul  that 
sinneth,  it  shall  die. — Ezekiel  xviii.  4. 


WILL  look  upon  the  whole  world  as  my  country,  and 
upon  God  as  both  the  witness  and  judge  of  my  actions. 
I  will  live  and  die  with  this  testimony — that  I  never  in- 
vaded another  man's  freedom  and  that  I  preserved  my 
own.  SENECA. 

God,  who  creates  and  inspires  men,  willed  that  they 
should  be  equal.  He  made  them  all  capable  of  wisdom; 
He  imposed  the  same  laws  upon  all  and  He  has 
promised  immortality  to  all.  As  He  furnished  food  for 
all  and  gives  the  sweet  repose  of  sleep  to  all,  so  does  He 
give  capacity  for  virtue  to  all.  With  Him  no  one  is  a 
slave  and  no  one  is  master.  He  is  the  Father  of  all,  and 
we  are  all,  by  equal  right,  His  children. 

LACTANTIUS. 
381 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


from  misguided  zeal, 
Save  us  from  unholy  strife, 
From  the  sin  that  dares  lay  hand 
On  the  soul's  godhidden  life. 

Save  us  from  the  ancient  curse 
Of  the  tyrant's  iron  rod, 
That,  as  freemen,  we  may  bend 
To  Thy  yoke,  O  righteous  God. 

Gladsome  songs  shall  hail  Thy  name 
From  a  people,  wholly  Thine, 
And  the  incense  of  Thy  praise 
Rise  from  ev'ry  inward  shrine. 

G.  G. 


XXIX.  Continuation. 

VI. 


Remember  this  and  show  yourselves  men.    .    .    , 
Remember  the  former  things  of  old.    .    .    . 
My  counsel  shall  stand  and  I  will  do  all  my  pleas- 
ure.— Isaiah  xlvi.  8,  10. 


any  say:  The  prophetic  vision  of  Israel  has 
been  hopelessly  mixed  with  folly  and  bigotry; 
the  angel  of  progress  has  no  message  for  Judaism ! — it 
is  a  half-buried  city  for  the  paid  workers  to  lay  open — 
the  waters  are  rushing  by  it  as  a  forsaken  field?  I  say 
that  the  strongest  principle  of  growth  lies  in  human 
choice.  .  .  .  The  Nile  overflowed  and  rushed  on- 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

ward;  the  Egyptian  could  not  close  the  overflow,  but 
he  chose  to  work  and  make  channels  for  the  fructifying 
waters,  and  Egypt  became  the  land  of  corn.  Shall  man, 
whose  soul  is  set  in  the  royalty  of  discernment  and 
resolve,  deny  his  rank,  and  say:  I  am  an  onlooker,  ask 
no  choice  of  purpose  of  me?  The  divine  principle  of 
our  race  is  action,  choice,  resolved  memory.  Let  us 
will  our  own  better  future  and  the  better  future  of  the 
world.  The  vision  is  there,  it  will  be  fulfilled. 

FROM  "DANIEL  DERONDA  "  BY  GEORGE  ELIOT. 


the  morning's  earliest  light 
Brought  Thy  mercy  to  my  sight, 
And  my  wakeful  song  was  heard 
Later  than  the  evening  bird  ; 
Hast  Thou  all  my  prayers  forgot  ? 
Dost  Thou  scorn  or  hear  them  not  ? 
Why,  my  soul,  art  thou  perplexed? 
Why  with  faithless  trouble  vexed  ? 
Hope  in  God,  whose  saving  name 
Thou  shalt  joyfully  proclaim  ; 
When  His  countenance  shall  shine 
Through  the  clouds  that  darken  thine. 


XXX.  Continuation. 

VII. 


For  thus  hath  the  Lord  said  unto  me  :  Go,  set  a 
watchman,  let  him  declare  what  he  seeth.  .  .  . 
And  he  cried  :  My  Lord,  I  stand  continually  upon 
the  watch-tower  in  the  daytime,  and  I  am  set  in  my 
ward  whole  nights.  —  Isaiah  xxi.  6,  8. 

383 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

|TANDING  here  as  this  day's  sentries, 

Set  to  watch  our  little  time, 
Let  us  hear  the  past  and  future 

Calling  us  to  deeds  sublime. 
Children  of  heroic  fathers, 

We  the  future's  sires  must  be; 
And  the  coming  generations 

Look  to  us  to  make  them  free. 

Let  us  hold  our  lines  not  only, — 

Hear  the  order  to  advance ! 
Grasp  the  shield  of  Faith  not  only, — 

Lift  on  high  Truth's  flaming  lance ! 
Fight  for  every  hope  that's  human, 

Fight  to  shatter  every  chain, 
Fight  till  every  man  and  woman 

Owneth  heart  and  soul  and  brain. 

By  the  Ancient's  long  endeavor, 

By  the  Honorable's  fame, 
By  our  race  and  by  our  country, 

By  each  high  and  noble  name, 
By  the  God  of  hosts  who  leads  us, 

By  the  future's  dawning  light, 
Swear  to  stand  and  swear  to  struggle 

Till  earth's  might  shall  mean  its  right! 

MINOT  J.  SAVAGE. 

When  you  are  in  a  cause,  see  if,  when  you  sound  it, 
it  touches  the  bottom — God  Almighty;  and  if  you  find 

384 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

a  truth,  as  everlasting  as  God,  stand  by  it,  talk  of  it; 
and  if  men  would  muzzle  you,  talk  on.  Talk  living 
and  die  talking,  and  make  other  men  talk.  There  is 
harm  that  can  come  from  talking  of  things  that  ought 
not  to  be  harmed.  The  only  risk  is  in  reticence — in 
guilty  silence.  HENRY  W.  BEECHER. 


XXXI. 

ffeast  of  tbc  ttevelatfon. 

O  ye  that  love  the  Eternal,  see  that  ye  hate  the 
thing  that  is  evil ;  to  him  that  ordereth  his  conversa- 
tion right,  shall  be  shown  the  salvation  of  God. 


whole  history  of  the  world  to  this  day  is  in 
truth  one  continual  establishing  of  this  Old  Testa- 
ment Revelation.  And  whether  we  consider  it  in 
respect  to  human  affairs  at  large  or  in  respect  to  indi- 
vidual happiness,  in  either  case  its  importance  is  so 
immense  that  the  people  to  whom  it  was  given  and 
whose  record  is  in  the  Bible,  deserve  fully  to  be  singled 
out  as  the  Bible  singles  them.  For  while  other  nations 
had  the  misleading  idea  that  this  or  that,  other  than 
righteousness,  is  saving,  and  it  is  not ;  that  this  or  that, 
other  than  conduct,  brings  happiness,  and  it  does  not — 
Israel  had  the  true  idea  that  Righteousness  is  saving 
and  that  to  conduct  belongs  happiness.  Nor  let  it  be 
said  that  other  nations,  too,  had  at  least  something  of 

385 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

this  idea.  They  had,  but  they  were  not  possessed  with 
it;  and  to  feel  it  enough,  to  make  the  world  feel  it,  it 
was  necessary  to  be  possessed  with  it.  ...  This  is 
why  the  testimonies  of  righteousness  are  Israel's  heritage 
for  ever;  they  were  the  very  joy  of  his  heart.  Herein 
Israel  stood  alone,  the  friend  and  elect  of  the  eternal. 

MATTHEW  ARNOLD. 
Y  word  a  wondrous  guiding  star 
On  pilgrim  hearts  doth  rise, 
Leads  to  their  Lord  who  dwells  afar 
And  makes  the  simple  wise. 
Let  not  its  light 
E'er  sink  in  night, 
But  still  in  every  spirit  shine 
That  none  may  miss  Thy  light  divine. 

» 
XXXII.  Confirmation. 

Neither  with  you  only  do  I  make  this  covenant 
and  this  oath ;  but  with  him  that  standeth  here  with 
us  this  day  before  the  Lord,  our  God,  and  also  with 
him  that  is  not  here  with  us  this  day. — Deuteronomy 
xxix.  14,  75-. 

!  from  pole  to  pole  rebounding 
Tidings  of  Thy  name  are  sounding; 
Splendors  bright 
Praise  Thy  might, 
High  in  heaven's  tent  unfurled. 
Spheres  along 
Soundeth  song, 

Praising  Thee  from  world  to  world. 
386 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

More  than  songs  of  spheres,  yea  even 
More  than  praises  sung  in  heaven, 

Thee  as  sole 

God  extol 
Children,  pure  and  guileless  now, 

Thee  they  all 

Father  call 
And  to  praise  Thee  ever  vow. 

Hearken  then  this  day  with  pleasuie 
To  our  children's  lisping  measure, 

As  like  birds 

Heavenwards 
Soar  their  hearts  from  earth's  chains  free ; 

And  each  breast, 

Glad  and  blest, 
Offers  joyful  prayers  to  Thee. 

And  thus,  to  Thy  heights  ascending, 
Let  our  humble  pleas  be  wending; 

Hear,  O  hear, 

As  we  near, 
To  our  prayers  fulfillment  grant ; 

We  would  fain 

Blessings  gain 
For  faith's  holy  covenant. 

(Tr.)    ADDIE   FUNK. 

O  give  me  Samuel's  ear, 
The  open  ear,  o  Lord, 

387 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Alive  and  quick  to  hear 
Each  whisper  of  Thy  word  ; 
Like  him  to  answer  at  Thy  call, 
And  so  obey  Thee,  first  of  all. 

O  give  me  Samuel's  heart, 

A  lowly  heart  that  waits, 

Where  in  Thy  home  Thou  art, 

Or  watches  at  Thy  gates, 

By  day  and  night,  a  heart  that  still, 

Moves  at  the  breathing  of  Thy  will. 

O  give  me  Samuel's  mind, 

His  sweet,  unmurmuring  faith, 

Obedient  and  resigned 

To  Thee  in  life  and  death  ; 

That  I  may  read  with  childlike  eyes 

Truths  that  make  the  simple  wise. 

(Slightly  changed.}     J.  D.  BOSTHWICK. 

¥ 


xxxiii. 


/Iftounutui  for  Zion. 

Comfort  ye,  comfort  ye,  my  people,  saith  the  Lord. 
—  Isaiah  xl.  i. 


) HALL  I  sorrow,  oh,  desolate  city, 

For  thy  beauty  and  glory  o'erthrown? 
Shall  I  sing  the  dread  day  of  destruction, 
When  thy  sins  thou  didst  dearly  atone? 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

When  the  shrieks  of  the  daughters  of  Zion 

Sad  echoed  the  shouts  of  the  foe; 
And  thy  streets,  ravished  city,  ran  crimson 

With  the  blood  of  thy  sons,  lying  low? 

Or,  shall  I  rejoice  in  the  beauty 

And  glory  again  to  be  thine, 
When  thy  youth's  loving  bridegroom  shall  ransom 

His  promise  of  comfort  divine  ? — 
When  the  rites  of  thy  temple  new  builded 

With  God  shall  find  grace  as  of  old, 
And  monarchs  shall  hasten  with  offerings 

Of  incense,  and  jewels,  and  gold  ? 

My  thoughts  on  this  day  of  sad  memories 

Turn  not  back  to  the  past  in  despair, 
But  forward  in  hope,  to  the  future 

Where  visions  of  glory  shine  fair ! 
When  I  read  in  the  book  of  the  prophet 

Who  voiced  fallen  Zion's  distress — 
I  seek  not  alone  words  of  grieving 

But  those  rarer  that  comfort  and  bless. 

(Sel.)     SOLOMON  SOLIS-COHEN. 


And  them,  O  Israel,  shalt  swear :  The  Lord  liveth, 
in  truth,  in  judgment,  and  in  righteousness ;  and  the 
nations  shall  bless  themselves  in  God,  and  in  Him 
shall  they  glory. — Jeremiah  iv.  2. 


389 


I  will  praise  the  Lord  with  my  whole  heart  in  the 
assembly  of  the  upright  and  in  the  congregation. — 
Psalms  cxi.  i 


I.          (Rcftgion  dnb  (puBftc  (Jftorftfrfg. 


Where  there  is  no  vision  of  the  guiding  Seer,  the 
people  become  unrestrained;  if  they  keep  the  law, 
it  will  be  well  with  them. — Proverbs  xxix.  18. 


all  the  dispositions  and  habits  which  lead  to  polit- 
ical prosperity,  religion  and  morality  are  the  indis- 
pensable supports.  In  vain  would  that  man  claim  the 
tribute  of  patriotism,  who  should  labor  to  subvert  those 
pillars  of  human  happiness,  those  firmest  props  of  the 
duties  of  men  and  citizens.  The  mere  politician,  equally 
with  the  pious  man,  ought  to  respect  and  to  cherish 
them.  A  volume  could  not  trace  all  their  connections 
with  private  and  public  felicity.  Let  us,  with  caution, 
indulge  the  supposition  that  morality  can  be  maintained 
without  religion.  Whatever  may  be  conceded  to  the  in- 
fluence of  refined  education  on  minds  of  peculiar  struct- 
ure, reason  and  experience,  both,  forbid  us  to  expect 
that  national  morality  can  prevail  in  exclusion  of  relig- 
ious principle. 

WASHINGTON'S  FAREWELL  ADDRESS. 

5 ROM  every  doubt  and  fear,  O  Lord, 
In  mercy  set  us  free, 
While  in  the  confidence  of  prayer 
Our  hearts  draw  near  to  Thee. 

393 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


In  all  our  trials,  struggles,  joys, 
Teach  us  Thy  love  to  see  ; 

Which,  by  the  discipline  of  life, 
Would  draw  us  unto  Thee. 


II  .      £0e  QUfuraf  ©irecfions  of 


Thou  shall  not  harden  thy  heart,  nor  shut  thy  hand 
from  thy  poor  brother  ;  but  thou  shalt  open  thy  hand 
wide  unto  him.  —  Deuteronomy  xv.  7,  <?. 

(TOOTHING  seems  much  clearer  than  the  natural  direc- 
V*  tion  of  charity.  Would  we  all  but  relieve,  accord- 
ing to  the  measure  of  our  means,  those  objects  im- 
mediately within  the  range  of  our  personal  knowledge, 
how  much  of  the  worst  evil  of  poverty  might  be  alle- 
viated !  Very  poor  people  who  are  known  to  us  to  have 
been  honest  and  industrious,  when  industry  was  in  their 
power,  have  a  claim  on  us,  founded  on  our  knowledge 
and  on  neighborhood,  things  which  have  in  themselves 
something  sacred  and  endearing  to  every  good  heart. 
One  cannot,  surely,  always  pass  by  the  lone  wayside 
beggar  without  occasionally  giving  him  an  alms.  Old, 
careworn,  pale,  drooping  and  emaciated  creatures,  who 
pass  us  by  without  looking  beseechingly  at  us,  or  even 
lifting  up  their  eyes  from  the  ground,  cannot  often  be 
met  with  without  exciting  an  interest  in  us  for  their 
silent  and  unobtrusive  sufferings  or  privations.  .  .  . 
These  are  duties  all  men  owe  to  distress,  they  are  easily 
discharged  ;  and  even  such  tender  mercies  are  twice 
blessed.  T.  CHALMERS. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


ITTA-D  I  the  tongues  of  Greeks  and  Jews 
^w/     And  nobler  speech  than  angels  use, 
If  love  be  absent,  I  am  found 
Like  tinkling  brass,  an  empty  sound. 

* 

in.  £ag*T»eff  anb 


Be  not  hasty  in  thy  tongue,  and  in  thy  deeds- 
slack  and  remiss.  —  Eeclesiastictis  v.  2» 


fiay-well  and  do-well,  they  are  things  twain; 
Thrice  happy  is  he  in  whom  both  reign. 

Say- well  is  ruled  by  man  some  deal ; 
Do-well  doth  wholly  to  God  appeal. 
Say- well  saith  goodly,  and  doth  many  please; 
Do-well  liveth  godly  and  doth  the  world  ease 

Say-well  doth  many  to  God's  word  cleave, 
But  for  lack  of  Do-well  they  quickly  leave. 
If  Say-well  and  Do-well  were  joined  in  a  frame, 
All  were  won,  all  were  done,  got  were  the  game. 

Say-well  in  hand  doth  many  things  take, 
Do-well  an  end  of  them  doth  make ; 
Where  Say-well  with  many  is  quite  downcast. 
Do-well  is  trusty  and  will  stand  fast. 

Say- well  in  danger  of  death  is  cold : 
Do-well  is  earnest  and  wondrous  bold ; 
Where  Say-well  for  shame  shall  hide  his  face, 
Do-well  shall  triumph  in  every  place. 

ANON. 

395 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

IV.     £0e  <J)nene00  of 


O  praise  the  Lord,  all  ye  nations,  praise  Him  all 
ye  people.  For  His  merciful  kindness  is  great  towards 
us,  and  the  faithfulness  of  the  Lord  endureth  for  ever. 
— Psalms  cxvii. 


HAVE  wandered  quite  away  from  my  intention, 
which  was  to  show  the  place  of  hymns  in  the  great 
religions  since  Moses  sang  and  the  redeemed  people 
responded  and  Miriam  led  the  maiden  chorus  and  dances, 
with  her  jingling  timbrel,  on  the  shores  of  the  Red  Sea. 
"In  hymns,  on  earth,  the  saints  are  one."  Mont- 
gomery said  that  about  prayer,  and,  at  bottom,  it  is  so. 
But  it  is  surely  so  in  hymns.  Most  of  our  difficulties 
about  religion  are  born  in  the  head,  I  mean  the  skull 
with  its  eyes  and  ears.  The  difficulties  are  of  earth, 
earthy.  Probably  most  Christians,  if  they  could  drop 
the  clay,  would  see  at  once  that  they  are  all  meaning 
about  the  same  thing,  and  would  be  much  ashamed  of 
what  they  often  thought  they  meant. 

CHARLES  H.   HALL. 

rt  ET  the  people  praise  the  Lord  ! 
>•*     Let  Thy  love  on  all  be  poured ; 
Let  awakened  nations  sing 
Glory  to  their  heavenly  King ; 
At  Thy  feet  their  tribute  pay, 
And  Thy  holy  will  obey. 

3Q6 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


V.  £0e  J&afefg  of 


The  meek  shall  increase  their  joy  in  the  Lord,  and 
the  lowly  among  men  shall  rejoice  in  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel — Isaiah  xxix.  ig. 


that  is  humble-minded  hastens  to  serve  God,  but 
he  never  boasts  of  it;  neither  does  he  despise  the 
least  part  of  what  appertains  to  God's  service, whilst  the 
proud  one  delays  his  religious  duties.  Be,  therefore, 
mindful  thou  place  humility  before  thine  eyes;  strive 
continually  to  acquire  it,  implore  God's  help  thereto, 
and  beg  Him  to  lead  thee  to  it  in  order  to  perform  His 
will,  and  He  will  set  thee  in  the  right  path  thereto,  and 
make  thy  way  plain  before  thee,  as  we  Israelites  are 
praying  daily :  * '  O,  my  God,  guard  my  tongue  from 
evil,  and  my  lips  from  speaking  guile ;  and  to  such  as 
curse  me,  let  my  soul  be  dumb,  yea,  let  my  soul  be  unto 
all  as  dust."  Beware  of  the  thoughts  of  thy  heart  and 
of  the  temptations  into  which  arrogance  and  ambition  may 
lead  thee.  God  has,  in  His  Word,  shown  us  the  way  to 
this  grace  in  the  prayer:  Two  things  have  I  required  of 
Thee,  O  God.  Remove  far  from  me  vanity  and  lies  .  .  . 
lest  I  be  full  and  deny  Thee  and  say :  who  is  the  Lord  ? 
or  lest  I  steal  or  take  the  name  of  God  in  vain. 

BACHIAH  IB'N    PAKUDAH, 
XI.  Century. 

fYlHEN  all  is  done,  learn  this,  my  son : 

Not  friend  nor  skill,  nor  wit  nor  will, 
Nor  ship  nor  clod,  but  only  God 
Doth  all  in  all. 

397 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Man  taketh  the  pain,  God  giveth  gain ; 
Man  doth  his  best,  God  giveth  rest ; 
Man  well  intends,  God  plenty  sends 
Else  want  he  shall. 


VI. 


They  that  trust  in  their  wealth  and  boast  them- 
selves in  the  multitude  of  their  riches,  none  of  them 
can  by  any  means  redeem  his  brother,  nor  give  to  God 
a  ransom  for  him. — Psalm  xlix.  6,  ?. 


'ET  thyself  the  love  of  thy  congregation  and  bow  thy 
head  before  the  great  one  in  learning  and  piety. 

Deliver  him  that  suffereth  wrong  from  the  hand  of 
his  oppressor,  and  be  not  faint-hearted  when  thou  sittest 
in  judgment. 

Watch  thine  opportunity,  but  beware  of  being  drawn 
into  evil  ways. 

Never  be  ruled  by  false  shame  when  it  concerns  the 
well-being  of  thy  soul;  for  there  is  a  shame  that  bring- 
eth  sin,  and  there  is  a  shame  which  is  both,  grace  and 
glory. 

Consider  no  person  against  thy  soul,  and  let  respect 
of  no  one  cause  thee  to  fall 

In  no  wise  speak  against  the  truth ;  be  not  ashamed 
to  confess  thy  sins.  Make  not  thyself  an  underling  to  a 
foolish  man. 

Strive  for  truth  unto  death  and  the  Lord  will  fight  for 
thee.  ECCLESIASTICUS. 

398 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  shall  gain  the 
whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  or  what  shall  a  man 
give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  ?  NEW  TESTAMENT. 


,  if  something  from  our  hands  have  power 
To  live,  and  act,  and  serve  the  future  hour  ; 
And  if,  as  toward  the  silent  tomb  we  go, 
Through  love,  through  hope,  and  faith's  transcendent  dower 
We  feel  that  we  are  greater  than  we  know. 


VII.     JsJertring  (Bob  —  (practicaf  (Reftcjton. 

Thou  art  the  rock  of  our  lives,  the  shield  of  our 
salvation,  through  every  generation.  We  praise  Thee 
for  our  lives  which  are  committed  unto  Thy  hand,  and 
for  our  souls  which  are  in  Thy  keeping,  and  for  Thy 
wonders  which  are  daily  wrought  for  us.  Thee  will 
we  serve  and  Thee  alone  worship. — Hebrew  Liturgy. 


AERVING  of  the  Lord  constitutes  real  personal  relig- 
ion— constant  worship  of  the  Holy  God  by  much 
secret  prayer,  and  by  still  more  praise,  the  going  out  of 
our  souls  to  Him  in  holy  communion  all  the  day 
through,  whether  our  hands  be  busy  or  not,  or  our 
minds  engaged  in  intellectual  toil,  or  in  lawful  relaxa- 
tion. It  is  the  unceasing  desire  to  do  right,  a  vivid 
though  not  morbid  dread  of  temptation,  and  most 
earnest  aspiration  to  be  made  utterly  sincere  and  truth- 
ful and  trustworthy  in  one's  very  soul.  I  tell  you 

399 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

honestly,  I  see  no  road  but  this  which  can  lead  us  back 
again  into  the  good  old  paths,  in  which  the  faithful  of 
old  time  walked  as  they  prayed,  "  Make  in  me  a  clean 
heart,  O  God,  and  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me." 
"  Search  me,  O  God,  and  try  the  ground  of  my  heart; 
prove  me  and  examine  my  thoughts.  Look  well  if  there 
be  any  way  of  wickedness  in  me,  and  lead  me  in  the 
way  everlasting."  For  herein  you  get  the  best  security 
for  the  outward  service  of  God  in  the  service  of  man. 
Cleanse  the  spring  and  the  stream  will  be  pure.  Sanc- 
tify the  heart  and  you  make  holy  the  life. 

CHARLES  VOYSEY. 

Jf^  FATHER,  King,  whose  heavenly  face 
*^S      Shines  serene  on  all  Thy  race,  — 
We  Thy  magnificence  adore, 
And  Thy  well-known  aid  implore  ; 
Nor  vainly  for  Thy  help  we  call, 
Nor  can  we  want,  for  Thou  art  all. 

EUPOLIS. 
(Greek.} 


viii. 


Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts  :  Put  your  burnt- 
offerings  to  your  sacrifices  and  eat  flesh  ;  for  I  spake 
not  unto  your  fathers  ....  concerning  offerings 
and  sacrifices  ;  but  I  commanded  them  :  Obey  my 
voice  and  I  will  be  your  God  and  ye  shall  be  my 
people  ;  and  walk  ye  in  all  the  ways  that  I  have  com- 
manded you,  that  it  may  be  well  with  you.  —  Jeremiah 
vii.  21,  23. 

400 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

are  somewhat  disposed  to  commiserate  the 
blinded  Israelites  and,  in  a  semi-humble  manner, 
but  with  great  intensity  of  meaning,  congratulate  our- 
selves in  our  singular  privileges.  But  we  should  give 
heed  to  one  law  that  rules  in  all  privileges,  which  is : 
that  the  possession  of  them  always  brings  just  so  much 
responsibility,  so  that  they  who  really  have  them,  and 
appreciate  them,  are  always  humbled  by  them.  And 
another  rule  holds  good :  One  man  with  one  talent  may 
win  heaven  by  it  and  another  man  with  ten  talents  may 
lose  it. 

Jeremiah  probably  felt  intensely  the  need  of  sacrifice 
and  ordinances — the  grand  duty  to  keep  all  the  law  and 
fulfill  it  to  the  uttermost.  But  that  very  closeness  and 
strictness  of  observance  deepened  in  him  the  conviction 
of  the  purity  and  unity  of  the  one  great  overmastering 
law,  which  is  itself  the  reason  for  all  others  and  in 
which  all  other  laws  end.  "  Obey  my  voice — walk  in 
all  my  ways  and  I  will  be  your  God  and  I  will  heal 
you." 

CHARLES  H.  HALL. 


Thy  law  upon  my  heart, 
Inwardly  abiding, 
Make  it  of  my  life  a  part, 

Still  my  footsteps  guiding. 
Till  I  in  Thy  courts  appear 
And  to  fall  no  longer  fear. 


401 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


IX.  ©atnbanb  f0e  Jtoeef  finger*  (&ffer  yfrm. 


Sing  unto  the  Lord,  O  ye  pious   ones,  and  give 
thanks  at  the  remembrance  of  His  name     .     .     . 
to  the  end  that  my  glory  (my  soul)  may  sing  praise  to 
Thee  and  not  be  silent.     .     .     .  —  Psalms  xxx.  4,  12. 


world  has  been  changed  by  David's  harp.  He 
rose,  as  the  sweet  psalmist  of  Israel,  into  the 
empyrean,  and  has  given  language  and  melody  to  all 
that  is  best  and  purest  in  human  heart.  He  gave  Na- 
ture a  voice;  all  the  waves  of  the  sea  and  the  great 
mountains  and  rushing  winds  are  heard  to  praise  God. 
He  voiced  the  loftiest  aspirations  and  added  music  to 
the  wailings  of  a  repentant  race.  He  sang  pastoral 
symphonies  for  those  who  wander  in  green  pastures  and 
by  still  waters,  and  songs  of  courage  for  those  who  are 
terrified  by  earthquakes  and  storms.  He  wailed  for 
penitents  and  for  people  burdened  with  care,  sorrow 
and  disappointment.  He  fixed  the  gamut  of  Church 
song  to  the  end  of  time,  and  touched  notes  so  sublime, 
that  smaller  men  have  been  ever  since  repeating  them  ; 
notes  which,  if  there  be  anything  earthly  which  is 
immortal,  will  be  carried  by  our  souls  into  any  world 
where  we  can  ever  breathe  again.  We  thank  God  for 
him  and  for  every  sweet  singer  since,  and  for  what  they 
have  done  for  us.  CHARLES  H.  HALL. 


,  in  the  stranger's  land, 
Far  from  thine  own  household  band  ; 
Mourner,  haunted  by  the  tone 
Of  a  voice  from  this  world  gone  ; 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


Captive,  in  whose  narrow  cell 
Sunshine  has  no  leave  to  dwell  ; 
Sailor,  on  the  darkening  sea  — 

Lift  the  heart  and  bend  the  knee  ! 


X.  TEorbB  of 


Give  instruction  to  a  wise  man,  and  he  will  be  yet 
wiser;  teach  a  just  man,  and  he  will  increase  in 
knowledge.  —  Proverbs  ix.  9. 


HT  is  not  the  place  that  honoreth  tne  man,  out  the  man 
J  that  honoreth  the  place. 

Do  not  consider  thyself  a  giant,  and  thy  neighbor 
small  as  a  locust. 

He  who  covets  things  that  are  not  rightfully  his,  will 
not  only  be  disappointed  in  his  wish,  but  even  lose  the 
things  that  are  rightfully  his. 

Let  a  man  be  yielding  like  the  reed  in  the  wind,  not 
hard  and  unbending  like  the  cedar ;  let  him  be  the  first 
to  restrain  his  tongue  in  a  dispute,  the  first  also  to  for- 
give and  to  forget  what  was  spoken  hastily  and  in  anger. 

Even  calumniators  honor  truth,  knowing,  as  they  do, 
that,  unless  they  mix  some  truth  with  their  falsehoods, 
they  would  never  be  believed  at  all. 

He  who  listens  to  the  talebearer  and  backbiter,  shares 
his  sin ;  for  it  is  the  willing  ear  that  sets  the  tongue  in 
motion. 

He  who  takes  no  part  in  the  sorrows  and  burdens  of 
the  community,  will  have  no  share  in  the  joys  and  re- 
wards when  they  come.  THE  PHARISEES. 


403 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


AY^  Y  God,  Thou  art  my  glorious  Sun 
\J/  *     By  whose  bright  beam  I  shine  ; 
As  Thou,  Lord,  ever  art  with  me, 
Let  me  be  ever  Thine. 

Thou  art  my  living  fountain,  Lord, 
Whose  streams  on  me  do  flow  ; 

Myself  I  render  unto  Thee, 
To  whom  myself  I  owe. 

¥ 


XI. 


Thou,  O  God,  bringest  down  to  the  grave  and 
bringest  up  ....  He  bringeth  low  and  lifteth 
up. — /.  Samuel  ii.  j,  6. 


a  certain  man  found  Joseph,  and,  behold,  he 
was  wandering  in  the  field,  and  the  man  asked 
him,  saying:  What  seekest  thou?  and  he  said:  I  seek 
my  brethren;  tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  where  they  feed  their 
flock. 

Poor  lad !  brethren  he  sought,  murderers  he  found. 
What  a  picture  of  disappointment !  what  thoughts  must 
have  crowded  his  brain  when  he  lay  bewildered  in  his 
pit ;  and  yet  was  this  sinking  into  the  depth  the  first 
step  to  his  rising,  as  he  himself  acknowledged  to  his 
brothers:  Ye  meant  it  for  evil,  but  God  meant  it  for 
good. 

An  Eastern  saying  affirms:  The  flames  into  which 
Abraham  was  cast  by  Nimrod,  according  to  tradition, 
turned  into  beds  of  roses  and  jessamine. 

404 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

It  is  not  often  that  we  find  out  at  the  beginning  what 
God  meant  when  He  casts  us  into  the  pit  of  suffering; 
we  must  be  content  to  know  that  He  always  means 
something,  and  what  but  final  and  lasting  good  can  that 
be?  G.  G. 


well,  my  soul,  God's  hand  controls 
Whate'er  thou  fearest  ; 
Round  Him  in  calmest  music  rolls 
Whate'er  thou  hearest. 

What  to  thee  is  shadow,  to  Him  is  clay, 

And  the  end  He  knoweth, 
And  not  on  a  blind  and  aimless  way 

The  spirit  goeth. 


XII.      <Bob'6  (gift  fge 


Open  Thou  mine  eyes,  that  I  may  behold  won- 
drous things  out  of  Thy  Law.  —  Psalms  cxix.  18. 

Thy  testimonies  are  my  delight  and  my  counsel- 
lors. —  Psalms  cxix.  24. 


("I?  EAD  and  read  again  (the  Bible),  and  do  not  despair 
^"*  of  help  to  understand  something  of  the  will  and 
mind  of  God,  though  you  think  they  are  fast  locked  up 
from  you.  Neither  trouble  your  head  though  you  have 
not  commentaries  and  expositions ;  pray  and  read,  and 
read  and  pray;  for  a  little  from  God  is  better  than  a 
great  deal  from  men;  also  what  is  from  men  is  un- 
certain, and  is  often  lost  and  tumbled  over  and  over  by 
men ;  but  what  is  from  God  is  fixed  as  a  nail  in  a  sure 


405 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

place.  There  is  nothing  that  so  abides  with  us  as  what 
we  receive  from  God;  things  that  we  receive  at  God's 
hand  come  to  us  as  things  from  the  minting  house, 
though  old  in  themselves,  yet  new  to  us.  Old  truths 
are  always  new  to  us,  if  they  come  to  us  with  the  smell 
of  Heaven  upon  them.  JOHN  BUNYAN. 

*  *  HfJlH  AT  is  this  that  stirs  within, 

Loving  goodness,  hating  sin, 
Always  craving  to  be  blest, 
Finding  here  below  no  rest  ? 

"  What  is  it  ?  whither,  whence, 
This  unsleeping,  secret  sense, 
Seeking  for  its  rest  and  food 
In  some  hidden,  untried  good  ? 

"  'Tis  the  soul, — mysterious  name, 
Him  it  seeks  from  whom  it  came ; 
While  I  muse,  I  feel  the  fire 
Burning  on,  and  mounting  higher. 

"  Onward,  upward  to  Thy  throne, 
O  Thou  Infinite,  Unknown  ! 
Still  it  presseth,  till  it  see 
Thee  in  all,  and  all  in  Thee  !  " 


XIII.    Eotp  to  d5tf?c  anb  to  £dfte  Counsef. 


Then  I  said  :  Wisdom  is  better  than  strength  ; 
nevertheless  the  poor  man's  wisdom  is  despised  and 
his  words  are  not  heard.  The  words  of  the  wise 
man  are  heard  in  quiet,  more  than  the  cry  of  him 
that  ruleth  among  fools.  —  Ecclesiastes  ix.  16,  17. 

4o6 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

(PEAK,  thou  that  art  the  elder,  for  it  becometh 
thee,  but  let  it  be  with  sound  knowledge;  and 
hinder  not  music.  Display  not  thy  wisdom  out  of  sea- 
son. Sum  up  thy  speech,  many  things  in  few  words. 
Be  as  one  that  knoweth,  yet  holdeth  his  tongue.  If 
thou  be  among  great  men,  behave  not  as  their  equal. 
Before  a  shamefast  man  favor  shall  go  forth,  as  light- 
ning goes  before  thunder. 

Do  nothing  without  counsel;  and  when  thou  hast 
once  done,  repent  not.  Be  in  peace  with  many;  never- 
theless have  but  one  counsellor  of  a  thousand.  A 
faithful  friend  is  the  medicine  of  life;  and  they  that 
fear  the  Lord  find  him.  Forsake  not  an  old  friend  for 
a  new  one;  the  new  is  not  comparable  to  him.  A 
new  friend  is  as  new  wine;  when  it  is  old  thou  shalt 
drink  of  it  with  pleasure.  Strive  not  with  a  man  that 
is  full  of  tongue,  and  heap  not  wood  upon  his  fire. 

Jest  not  with  a  rude  man  lest  thy  ancestors  be  dis- 
graced. ECCLESIASTICUS. 


E  that  is  of  reason's  skill  bereft, 

And  wants  the  staff  of  wisdom  him  to  stay, 
Is  like  a  ship  in  midst  of  tempest  left, 
Without  a  helm  or  pilot  her  to  sway ; 
Full  sad  and  dreadful  is  that  ship's  event : 
So  is  the  man  that  wants  intendiment. 


407 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XIV.      (peace,  t0c  irutf  of  45oobne00. 


All  other  blessings  avail  nothing  where  there  is  no 
peace. —  The  Pharisees. 


3N  our  ancient  books  it  is  written:  "  The  Lord  says: 
The  poor  man  sits  in  his  bare  chamber  ahungered 
or  sick  and  in  his  loneliness  murmurs  against  Me;  then 
comest  thou  and  pitiest  him  and  givest  him  of  thy  sub- 
stance and  comfortest  him  with  thy  kindly  speech  and 
behold,  he  ceases  to  murmur  and  says :  God  has  not  cast 
me  off,  and  His  mercy  is,  indeed,  over  all  His  creatures. 
Thus  hast  thou  made  peace  between  Me  and  him  and 
for  this  thou  shalt  have  thy  reward." 

This  explains  the  meaning  of  the  other  teaching: 
Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works  and  glorify  your  Father  in  heaven. 
Back  of  both  these  beautiful  sayings  lies  the  word  of 
the  Psalmist:  Blessed  is  he  who  considereth  the  poor, 
in  the  day  of  evil  the  Lord  will  save  him.  Considereth 
— mark  it — not  merely  throws  his  alms  to  him  or  feeds 
and  covers  him,  but  tries  to  save  him  and  his  manhood 
and  to  lift  him  out  of  his  misery.  By  such  thoughtful 
charity  peace  is  restored,  as  between  God  and  man,  so 
also  between  man  and  man  and  all  kinds  of  social  war- 
'  fare  ended  for  ever.  G.  G. 

/\Y^  Y  God,  the  spring  of  all  my  joys, 
Vl'  *     The  life  of  my  delights ; 
The  glory  of  my  brightest  days 
And  comfort  of  my  nights — 

408 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

In  darkest  shades,  if  Thou  appear, 

My  dawning  is  begun  : 
Thou  art  my  soul's  sweet  morning  star — 

Thou  art  my  rising  sun. 

* 
XV  SBfenkb  QRtoidnce. 


Great  is  the  Lord,  and  greatly  to  be  praised  in  the 
city  of  our  God,  in  the  mountain  of  His  holiness. 

Beautiful  for  situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth, 
the  city  of  the  great  King. — Psalms  xlviii.  /,  2. 


EASON  and  faith  are  two  flames,  each  shining  with 
its  own  light;  but  what  brightness  when  blended  in 
one  radiance !  This  is  what  Israel's  fundamental  teach- 
ing imparts:  The  beginning  and  end  of  wisdom  is  the 
fear  of  God ;  to  this  let  us  hold,  brethren !  Much  that 
seemed  firmly  established  in  our  religion  is  gradually 
fading  away ;  many  a  blossom,  erstwhile  rich  in  color, 
droops,  and,  broken  from  the  old  stem,  is  driven  before 
the  wind — but  the  tree  itself  remains,  full  of  sap  and 
flourishing.  Be  not  discouraged,  as  it  was  in  the  past, 
so  it  will  be  in  the  future.  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  re- 
veals itself  in  diverse  ways  at  diverse  times.  One  thing, 
however,  you  must  take  to  heart,  brethren:  our  own 
energy  must  not  fail,  our  own  step  must  not  falter! 
Through  centuries  Israel  marched  with  his  face  set 
towards  the  golden  city  of  a  redeemed  and  peaceful 


409 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

humanity;  let  there  be  no  turning  back  or  faintheart 
edness  on  our  part  !  ABRAHAM  GEIGER. 

4  4  /VV  E  W  occasions  teach  new  duties. 

vi,       Time  makes  ancient  good  uncouth, 
They  must  upward  still,  and  onward, 

Who  would  keep  abreast  of  truth. 
Lo,  before  us  gleam  her  campfires  ! 

We  ourselves  must  pilgrims  be, 
Launch  our  Mayflower  and  steer  boldly 

Through  the  desperate  winter  sea, 
Nor  attempt  the  future's  portals 

With  the  Past's  blood-rusted  key." 

¥ 


XVI.       £0e  QRefuge  of  (ttpric$fne00. 


O,  keep  my  soul,  and  deliver  me  ;  let  me  not  be 
ashamed  :  for  I  wait  on  Thee  !  Let  integrity  and  up- 
rightness preserve  me,  for  I  wait  on  Thee.  —  Psalms 

XXV.  2O.  21. 


Bible  is  the  book  that  has  been  woven  into  all 
that  is  noblest  in  English  history  ....  It 
is  the  Magna  Charta  of  the  poor  and  the  oppressed. 
.  .  .  .  Down  to  modern  times  no  state  had  a  con- 
stitution in  which  the  duties,  so  much  more  than  the 
privileges,  of  rulers  are  insisted  on  as  that  drawn  up 
for  Israel  in  Deuteronomy  and  Leviticus.  Nowhere  is 
the  fundamental  truth  that  the  welfare  of  the  State,  in 
the  long  run,  depends  upon  the  uprightness  of  the 
citizens  so  strongly  laid  down.  THOMAS  H.  HUXLEY. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

5ELP  me,  O  Holy  Lord,  Lord !  to  my  soul 
Shaper  of  earth  and  heaven,        How  I  may  heedfully 

And  of  their  wondrous  all,  Mark  Thy  great  will ; 

My  glory — King !  Live  to  Thee  only, 

Eternal  Lord !  Soothfast  King ! 

Hearken,  great  God —  And  in  my  heart 

Lo,  I  do  trust  to  Thee  Good  rede  upraise, 

Body  and  soul,  O  give  me  time,  my  God, 

Words  and  works,  And  a  wise  heart ; 

And  all  my  divers  thoughts.  Give  me  a  will  to  bear, 

0  wise  God,  A  mind  to  heed 

Giver  of  light !  All  that,  O  faithful  Lord, 

1  pray  Thee,  betoken,  Thou  dost  in  trial  send. 

OLD  ENGLISH. 


XVII.  Q0e  Circumspect 

We  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord,  our  God,  let  us  not 
be  in  need  either  of  the  gifts  of  flesh  and  blood  or  of 
their  loans,  but  only  of  Thy  helpful  hand,  which  is 
full,  open,  holy  and  ample,  so  that  we  may  never  be 
ashamed  or  confounded.— Jeivish  Prayer. 


,E  careful  how  you  fall  under  obligation  to  men,  the 
best  and  kindest  not  excepted.  Obligation  is  a 
debt  incurred  and  you  cannot  know,  at  what  time  and 
in  what  manner  you  will  be  called  upon  to  liquidate  it  ; 
it  is  a  bond  signed  in  blank  ;  the  holder  may  fill  in  any 
amount  and  date  he  pleases. 

We  readily   " accept   with   pleasure"   invitations   to 
good  actions  ;  but  when  the  hour  cometh  to  fulfill  the 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

engagements,  we  readily  find  excuses  for  sending 
"  regrets,"  sometimes  neglect  this  rule  of  politeness; 
we  simply  stay  away.  G.  G. 

Thank  God  every  morning  when  you  get  up  that  you 
have  something  to  do  that  day  which  must  be  done, 
whether  you  like  it  or  not.  Being  forced  to  work,  and 
forced  to  do  your  best,  will  breed  in  you  temperance 
and  self-control,  diligence  and  strength  of  will,  cheer- 
fulness and  content,  and  a  hundred  virtues  which  the 
idle  never  know.  CHARLES  KINGSLEY. 

UBDUED  and  instructed  I  bow  to  Thy  will ; 

My  hopes  and  my  longings  to  Thee  I  resign ; 
O,  give  me  the  heart  that  can  wait  and  be  still, 
Nor  know  of  a  wish  or  a  pleasure  but  Thine. 


XVIII. 


The  lip  of  truth  shall  be  established  for  ever  ;  but 
a  lying  tongue  is  but  for  a  moment.  —  Prov.  xi.  79. 


T^RUTH  is  always  consistent  with  itself  and  needs 
nothing  to  help  it  out  ;  it  is  always  near  at  hand 
and  sits  upon  our  lips  and  is  ready  to  drop  out  before 
we  are  aware  ;  whereas  a  lie  is  troublesome,  and  sets  a 
man's  invention  upon  the  rack  :  one  trick  needs  a  great 
many  more  to  make  it  good.  It  is  like  building  upon 

412 


SUN   AND  SHIELD. 

a  false  foundation  which  constantly  stands  in  need  of 
props  to  shore  it  up  and  proves  at  last  more  chargeable 
than  to  have  raised  a  substantial  building  at  first  upon 
a  true  and  solid  foundation  ;  for  sincerity  is  firm  and 
substantial  and  fears  no  discovery;  of  which  the  crafty 
is  always  in  danger.  He  is  the  last  man  that  finds  him- 
self to  be  found  out  ;  and  whilst  he  takes  it  for  granted 
that  he  makes  fools  of  others,  he  renders  himself  ridicu- 
lous. TlLLITSON. 


crushed  to  earth  shall  rise  again, 
The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers  ; 
But  error,  wounded,  writhes  in  vain, 
And  dies  among  her  worshippers. 


XIX. 


Thou  shalt  not  go  up  and  down  as  a  talebearer 
among  thy  people  ;  neither  shalt  thou  (by  spreading 
evil  reports)  stand  against  the  life  of  thy  neighbor  :  I 
am  the  Lord,  thy  God.  —  Leviticus  xix.  16. 


the  whisperer  and  double-tongued,  for  he 
hath  destroyed  many  that  were  at  peace.  The 
slanderous  tongue  hath  shaken  many  and  dispersed  them 
from  nation  to  nation ;  and  it  hath  pulled  down  cities 
and  overthrown  the  houses  of  great  men.  It  hath  cast 
out  brave  women  and  deprived  them  of  the  fruits  of 
their  labors.  He  that  hearkeneth  unto  it  shall  not  find 


413 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

rest  nor  shall  he  dwell  quietly ;  the  stroke  of  the  whip 
maketh  a  mark  in  the  flesh,  but  the  stroke  of  the  tongue 
will  break  bones.  Many  have  fallen  by  the  stroke  of 
the  sword,  yet  not  so  many  as  they  that  have  fallen 
because  of  the  tongue.  Happy  is  he  that  is  sheltered 
from  it,  that  hath  not  passed  through  the  wrath  thereof ; 
that  hath  not  drawn  its  yoke,  and  hath  not  been  bound 
with  its  bands  ;  for  the  yoke  thereof  is  a  yoke  of  iron, 
and  the  bands  thereof  are  bands  of  brass.  The  death 
thereof  is  an  evil  death  and  Hades  were  better  than  it. 

ECCLESIASTICUS. 

^'ONDEMN  not,  judge  not, — not  to  man 
^^     Is  given  his  brother's  faults  to  scan  ; 
One  task  is  thine,  and  one  alone : 
To  search  out  and  subdue  thine  own. 

¥ 

XX.  TEisc  €oun0ef. 

The  steps  of  a  good  man  are  ordered  by  the  Lord, 
and  He  delighteth  in  his  way. — Psalms  xxocvii.  23. 


not  separate  thyself  from  the  congregation  and 
think  not  an  isolated  position  marks  the  wiser 
and  the  better  man. 

Rely  not  on  thy  spiritual  strength  till  the  day  of  thy 
death. 

Pass  no  judgment  upon  thy  neighbor  until  thou  hast 
put  thyself  in  his  stead. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Never  excuse  thyself  from  attending  to  thy  spiritual 
advancement  on  the  plea  that  thou  wilt  heed  it  when 
thou  hast  more  leisure;  perhaps  that  day  will  never 
come  for  thee. 

The  more  feasting,  the  more  food  for  worms, 
The  more  riches,  the  more  anxieties; 

but, 

The  more  knowledge,  the  more  life; 
The  more  study,  the  more  wisdom ; 
The  more  reflection,  the  better  counsel; 
The  more  charity,  the  more  peace: 
And  he  that  gains  a  good  name  acquires  that 
Which  no  misfortune  can  take  from  him. 

Three  things  are  life-destroying  evils:  The  envious 
eye,  the  evil-brooding  heart  and  the  hateful  soul. 

CHAPTERS  OF  THE  PHARISAIC  FATHERS. 

@ND  One  thing  further  make  him  know, 
That  to  believe  these  things  are  so, 
This  firm  faith  never  to  forego, 
Despite  of  all  which  seems  at  strife 
With  blessing,  all  with  curses  rife : 
That  this  is  blessing,  this  is  life. 

IP 

XXI.  tempt  Qlof  (Bob. 

Blessed  is  the  man  that  feareth  the  Lord,  that  de- 
lighteth  greatly  in  His  commandments.  His  offspring 
shall  be  mighty  upon  earth ;  the  generation  of  the  up- 
right shall  be  blessed. — Psalms  exit.  /,  2. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

/JXLAUCUS  was  esteemed  a  man  of  singular  probity, 
and,  having  a  large  sum  of  money  deposited  in  his 
hands  and  an  opportunity  of  keeping  it  from  the  own- 
ers, if  he  would  forswear  himself,  consulted  the  oracle 
at  Delphi  what  he  should  do.  When  he  had  proposed 
his  question,  the  priestess  of  Apollo  answered  thus : 

If  present  profit  claim  thy  chief  regard, 
Be  bold  and  swear,  and  take  the  obvious  prize ; 
Just  dealings  can  not -save  thee  from  the  grave. 
But  the  oath's  guardian  has  a  nameless  son, 
Who,  swift  and  strong,  tho'  without  hand  or  foot, 
Pursues,  o'ertakes  and  seizes  and  destroys 
The  whole  devoted  race,  whilst  honest  men 
Leave  lasting  blessings  to  their  children's  children. 

Glaucus,  hearing  this,  entreated  the  god  to  forgive 
him  what  he  had  said.  The  priestess  answered,  ' '  To 
tempt  the  god,  and  to  commit  the  action,  is  all  the  same. " 

HERODOTUS. 

'IVE  forth  thine  earnest  cry, 

O  conscience,  voice  of  God ! 
To  young  and  old,  to  low  and  high, 
Proclaim  His  will  abroad. 

Within  the  human  breast 

Thy  strong  monitions  plead 
Still  thunder  Thy  divine  protest 

Against  th'  unrighteous  deed. 


416 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXII.  ©oing  Our 


The  beginning  of  strife  is  as  when  one  letteth  out 
water;  therefore  leave  off  contention,  before  it  be 
meddled  with. — Proverbs  xvii.  14. 


not  neglect  to  rectify  evil  because  it  may  seem 
small  ;  for,  though  small  at  first,  it  may  continue 
to  grow  until  it  overwhelms  you. 

If  a  man  does  not  strive  to  resist  slight  acts  of  injus- 
tice, he  will  soon  find  himself  called  upon  to  face  the 
greatest  wrongs.  A  river  is  formed  by  many  small 
streams,  a  strong  cord  made  by  the  union  of  many  thin 
threads.  A  sapling  whose  roots  have  not  struck  deep, 
can  be  easily  pulled  up;  but,  if  it  be  allowed  to  become 
a  tree,  it  will  be  necessary  to  use  an  axe. 

SAYINGS  OF  MENCIUS. 

Simply  to  do  what  we  ought  is  an  altogether  higher, 
more  potent,  more  creative  thing  than  to  write  the 
grandest  poem,  paint  the  most  beautiful  picture,  carve 
the  mightiest  statue,  dream  out  the  most  enchanting 
combination  of  melody  and  harmony.  EMERSON. 


us  with  man  in  peace  to  live, 
Our  brother's  wrong  in  love  forgive, 
And  day  and  night  temptation  flee, 
Through  strength  that  comes  alone  from  Thee  ; 
Thus  will  our  spirits  find  their  rest, 
In  Thy  deep  peace  for  ever  blest. 

417 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXIII.       Coffee* 


Incline  not  my  heart  to  any  evil  thing,  to  practice 
wicked  works  with  men  that  work  iniquity,  and  let 
me  not  eat  of  their  dainties.  Let  the  righteous  smite 
me,  it  shall  be  a  kindness ;  and  let  him  reprove  me, 
it  shall  be  an  excellent  oil.  .  .  . — Psalms  cxli.  4, 5. 


*  *  ^JN  the  Bay  of  Biscay  may  be  seen  flocks  of  pretty 
^  small  marine  birds  which  skim  the  face  of  the 
sea  with  unwearied  pinions,  gliding  down  its  moist 
valleys  and  ascending  its  hissing  hills,  but  never  wetting 
a  foot  or  a  feather.  Even  so  may  man  go  up  and  down 
the  world  and  remain  unspotted  from  it." 


God  bless  the  good-natured,  for  they  bless  everybody 
else. 

When  the  pure  man  dies,  his  soul  sits  down  close  to 
his  head,  praying:  happy  is  the  man  who  has  been 
happiness  to  others.  PERSIAN. 

Reputation  is  what  men  and  women  think  of  us; 
character  is  what  God  and  angels  know  of  us. 

THOMAS  PAINE. 

ET  good  will  strengthen  me  for  others'  needs 

And  time  and  place  still  serve  for  noble  deeds, 
That  piously  the  work  of  love  be  done 

As  'twas  begun. 

Courage  and  zeal  Thy  will  and  work  demand, 
O !  may  the  timid  pretext  never  stand 
That  for  Thy  purposes  my  strength  may  quail 
Or  due  time  fail. 

4i8 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 
XXIV. 


Because  for  Thy  sake  I  have  borne  reproach, 
shame  hath  covered  my  face.  .  .  .  For  the  zeal 
of  Thine  house  hath  eaten  me  up,  and  the  reproaches 
of  them  that  reproached  Thee  are  fallen  upon  me. 
When  I  wept  and  chastened  my  soul  with  fasting, 
that  was  my  reproach.  I  made  sack-cloth  also  my 
garment ;  and  I  became  a  proverb  to  them. — Psalms 
Ixix.  7,  g-n. 


Pharisees  were  but  men,  liable  to  all  the  failings 
of  humanity;  but  their  religion,  even  if  carried 
beyond  the  Law,  was  honest  and  sincere.  The  laxity 
and  indifference  of  the  multitude  compelled  a  greater 
degree  of  strictness;  they  were  forced  to  raise  around 
them  a  wall  of  exclusiveness,  lest  they,  too,  should  fall. 
They  beheld  the  awful  evils  creeping  Readily  amidst  all 
ranks,  and  was  it  strange  that  they  should  have  encour- 
aged an  unsocial  spirit  and  held  themselves  aloof  ? 
They  beheld  foreign  manners  and  customs  destroying 
the  nationality  of  their  people  and  land;  that  the  law 
of  their  God,  which  they  justly  held  supreme,  was  dis- 
regarded; and  was  it  unnatural  that  they  should  seclude 
themselves,  proud  of  their  spiritual  superiority,  or  that 
their  attachment  to  their  land  and  temple  should 
increase  in  passionate  intensity,  as  they  beheld  it 
often  trampled  upon  and  desecrated  by  foreigners  ? 

GRACE  AGUILAR. 

419 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

IS  death  in  life  Thy  standard  to  desert  ; 
'Tis  life  in  death  Thy  power  to  assert. 
Yet  passeth  me,  how  I  Thy  grace  shall  gain, 
How  prove  my  faith,  Thy  service  how  attain  ? 
Lead  me,  O  Lord  !  upon  Thy  tranquil  way, 
Deliver  me  from  folly's  tempting  sway. 


XXV. 


The  stone  which  the  builders  refused  has  become 
the  headstone  of  the  corner. — Psalms  cxviii.  22. 


Mattathias  had  ruled  one  year  he  fell  very 
sick  and  called  for  his  sons  and  set  them  round 
about  him  and  said:  "  O,  my  sons,  I  am  going  the  way 
of  all  flesh,  and  I  commend  to  you  my  resolution  and 
my  command  to  preserve  the  customs  of  your  country 
and  to  recover  your  ancient  polity  which  is  in  danger  of 
being  upset ;  and  not  be  seduced  by  those  that  betray 
it,  either  from  their  own  inclination  or  from  coercion, 
but  to  be  sons  worthy  of  me,  to  rise  above  all  force  and 
necessity.  You  should  so  dispose  your  souls,  as  to  be 
ready  to  die  for  your  laws,  reflecting  on  this,  that,  if 
God  see  that  you  are  so  disposed,  He  will  not  overlook 
you,  but  will  greatly  value  your  virtue  and  give  you 
back  that  freedom  in  which  you  shall  live  in  security 
according  to  our  customs.  Your  bodies  are  mortal,  but 
yours  may  be  an  earthly  immortality  by  the  remem- 
brance of  the  actions  you  have  done.  Agree  with  one 

420 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

another  and  in  what  point  one  excels  the  other,  yield  to 
him  so  far.  Take  Maccabaeus  for  your  general,  because 
of  his  courage  and  strength.  Conciliate  the  righteous 
and  the  pious  and  so  add  their  power  to  yours."  After 
this  Mattathias  prayed  to  God  to  be  their  helper  and 
died  and  was  buried  at  Modim. 

FLAVIUS  JOSEPHUS. 


wondrous  might  from  tyrant's  hand 
Thou  did'st  relieve  the  gallant  band, 
The  valiant  few  who  cleansed  Thy  shrine 
And  caused  once  more  Thy  light  to  shine. 


xxvi.     £fc     cfcofm    of 


Blessed  is  the  man  whom  Thou   chasteneth  and 
teachest  him  out  of  Thy  Law.  —  Psalms  xciv.  12. 


(Yt  OW  I  venture  to  say  that  no  one  can  tell  of  many, 
>"*  nay,  of  more  than  two  or  three,  that  have  aban- 
doned our  laws,  or  feared  death,  not  the  easiest  of 
deaths  which  happens  in  battles,  but  which  comes  with 
tortures,  which  is  the  hardest  of  all.  Indeed,  I  think 
they  have  put  us  to  such  deaths,  not  from  their  hatred 
of  us,  but  rather  to  see  a  wonderful  sight,  namely :  that 
there  are  men  in  the  world  who  believe  that  the  only 
evil  is  being  compelled  to  do  or  speak  anything  contrary 
to  their  sacred  laws.  But  men  ought  not  to  wonder  at 
our  courage ;  when  they  know  how  willingly  we  sub- 


421 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

mit  throughout  our  life  to  such  practices,  as  working 
with  our  hands,  living  frugally,  avoiding  luxury  and 
keeping  of  our  days  of  rest.  For  those  that  can  use 
their  swords  in  war,  and  put  their  enemies  to  flight, 
cannot  bear  to  submit  to  rules  about  their  mode  of  liv- 
ing; whereas  our  being  accustomed  willingly  to  submit 
to  laws  makes  us  readier  to  show  our  fortitude  upon 
other  occasions  also.  FLAVIUS  JOSEPHUS. 

Y  word  is  like  a  flaming  sword, 
A  wedge  that  cleaveth  stone  ; 
Keen  as  a  fire,  so  burns  Thy  word 
And  pierces  flesh  and  bone. 
O  send  it  forth 
O'er  all  the  earth, 
To  scatter  all  the  night  of  sin, 
The  darken' d  heart  to  cleanse  and  win. 


XXVII.     £0e  TXKfneee  of  Conbucf. 

Take  not  Thy  word  utterly  out  of  my  mouth  ;  for 
I  have  hoped  in  Thy  judgments. — Psalms  cxix.  43. 


44  f2tND  God  created  the  tight " — by  li^lit  is  meant> 

^Q  the  actions  of  the  just.  For  their  deeds  are 
luminous,  and  are  a  blessing  for  all  men,  even  for  sin- 
ners. As  a  symbol  that  Israel  should  strive  to  be  such 
a  source  of  light  for  mankind,  it  was  ordered  that  the 
purest  refined  oil  only  should  be  used  for  the  perpetual 
lamp  in  the  Tabernacle. 

422 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

The  commandment  :  Thou  shalt  love  the  Eternal,  thy 
God,  includes  the  duty  to  so  regulate  our  actions  as  to 
lead  other  men  to  the  love  of  God,  If  thou  art  well 
versed  in  the  law;  if  thou  art  seen  in  the  company  of 
the  wise  ;  if  thy  behavior  is  mild  to  every  man,  what  do 
the  people  say  ?  They  say  :  How  great  is  the  Law  of 
God  :  for  see,  how  beautiful  is  his  life,  and  how  good 
are  all  his  actions  ;  woe  to  him  that  knows  not  the  Law. 
But  if  a  man  is  learned,  and  his  conduct  rude,  his 
thoughts  mean,  his  actions  equivocal  —  then,  the  peo- 
ple say:  Woe  to  him  that  is  versed  in  the  Law;  woe 
to  his  father,  woe  to  the  teacher.  Thus  are  Law  and 
Lawgiver  brought  low  before  men  ;  and  of  those  who  are 
the  cause,  it  is  said  (Ezechiel  3,  20):  When  a  right- 
eous man  doth  turn  from  his  righteousness  and  commit 
iniquity,  and  I  lay  a  stumbling-block  in  his  way,  he 
shall  die.  THE  PHARISEES. 


will  I  feed  this  sacred  fire; 
For  wisdom's  precepts  still  inquire  ; 
Still  pray  from  pride  and  folly  free  ; 
"  Speak,  Lord,  Thy  servant  heareth  Thee." 


xxvin.        gins  of  <Dmt60ion. 


For  I  acknowledge  my  transgression  and  my  sin  is 
always  before  me.  —  Psalms  li.  j. 


is  so  important  a  subject  that  it  must  be  dwelt 
upon.     How  common  is  the  classification  of  sins 
into  those  of  commission  and  of  omission:  and  how 


423 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

common  is  the  mistake  that  the  former  are  the  more 
hurtful.  Even  in  our  prayers  we  ask  pardon  for  "our 
sins  of  commission"  and  "our  sins  of  omission"  and 
the  tones  of  our  voice  show  that  the  latter  are  put 
apart,  as  in  a  parenthesis,  and  are  considered  not  at  all 
heinous.  We  must  arouse  ourselves  to  the  truth  that 
sins  of  omission  may  be  much  worse  than  the  worst 
sins  of  commission,  as  they  are  called.  These  latter 
may  be  committed  in  the  heat  of  passion,  and  may 
break  out  perhaps  only  once  in  a  man's  life;  his  char- 
acter may  then  be  like  a  house  which  has  been  smitten 
by  a  storm-blast,  having  a  chimney  knocked  down,  or 
the  corner  of  the  roof  torn  off;  but  sins  of  omission  are 
like  a  dry  rot  which  reduces  the  whole  edifice  to  such  a 
state  that  at  any  moment  it  may  drop  into  a  heap  of 
dust.  CHARLES  F.  DEEMS. 

®EEP  our  shame  for  follies  past, 
Talents  wasted,  time  misspent, 
Hearts  absorbed  by  worldly  cares, 
Thankless  for  the  blessings  lent. 


xxix. 


Bring  no  more  vain  oblations.  ...  I  cannot 
bear  iniquity  with  solemn  meeting.  —  Isaiah  i.  15. 

One  of  the  ancient  teachers  exclaimed,  I  wonder 
if  there  be  One  in  this  generation  who  will  accept  cor- 
rection ;  if  I  say  to  him,  Take  the  mote  out  of  thine 
eye,  he  straightways  answers,  Take  the  beam  out  of 
thine  own.  —  From  the  Talmud. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

,  son  of  man,  guard  thy  foot  when  thou  goest 
to  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord  to  pray,  so  that  thou 
goest  not  there  full  of  sin  before  thou  have  repented  ; 
and  incline  thine  ear  to  receive  the  teaching  of  the  law 
from  the  priests  and  sages;  be  not  like  the  foolish  who 
bring  sacrifices  for  their  sins,  yet  do  not  cease  from 
their  evil  works,  they  hold  them  in  their  hands  when 
they  lift  them  to  heaven  ;  how  can  their  prayers  find 
acceptance  there  ?  They  do  not  even  try  to  learn 
whether  they  do  good  or  evil. 

ANCIENT  PARAPHRASE  OF  ECCLESIASTES. 

If  thou  bring  thy  goods  to  the  altar  and  there  re- 
memberest  that  thy  brother  had  aught  against  thee  ; 
leave  there  thy  gift  before  the  altar,  and  go  thy  way  ; 
first  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother,  and  then  come  and 
offer  thy  gift.  —  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 

¥ 

XXX. 


He  is  the  Lord  of  wonders,  who,  in  His  goodness, 
reneweth  daily  the  wonders  of  creation  !  .  .  .  O, 
cause  a  new  light  to  shine  upon  Zion,  and  may  we  all 
be  worthy  soon  to  enjoy  its  brightness.  —  Hebrew 
Ritual. 


ALSO  desire  a  religion  of  to-day;  but  that  must  not 
necessarily  be  one  born  to-day  or  manufactured  to- 
day. An  ancient  religion  whose  fundamental  truths 
have  stood  the  test  of  ages,  and  is  rich  in  associations 
and  traditions,  will  not  only  do  as  well,  but  sometimes 
better,  provided  only  we  do  not  turn  it  into  an  idol  and 


425 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

sacrifice  to  it  our  reason  and  our  judgment.  Take  what 
you  think  the  best  thought  of  to-day,  graft  it  on  the  old 
stem,  and  give  it  time  to  assimilate  the  sap,  and  just  see 
what  a  finely  colored  flower  will  appear  bye-and-bye 
and  what  new  species  of  plant  you  will  produce. 
Reason  is  the  primal  revelation  of  God  and  the  only 
channel  through  which  any  other  can  truly  enlighten 
us.  He  is  an  infidel  who  doubts  the  wisdom  of  God  in 
the  endowment  of  His  creatures;  and,  if  He  gave  us  the 
right  to  err,  let  no  man  dare  to  stamp  that  privilege  as 
a  sin.  The  enemy  of  faith  is  not  reason — but  unreason- 
ableness. G.  G. 

t^ET  him  walk  in  the  gloom  who  will, 
^t     Peace  be  with  him !     But  whence  is  his  right 
To  assert  that  the  world  is  in  darkness, 

Because  he  has  turned  from  the  light  ? 
Or  seek  to  o'ershadow  my  day 

With  the  pall  of  his  self-chosen  night  ? 

¥ 

XXXI.         £0e  SSafm  of 

My  prayer  is  to  the  living  God. — Psalm. 


I. 

HEN  prayer  delights  thee  least,  then  learn  to  pray, 
Now  is  the  greatest  need  that  thou  should'st  pray. 

2. 

Crooked  and  warped  I  am,  and  I  would  fain 
Straighten  myself  by  Thy  right  line  again. 

426 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

3- 

My  well  is  bitter;  cast  therein  the  tree, 
That  sweet  henceforth  its  brackish  waves  may  be. 

4- 

Say,  what  is  prayer,  when  it  is  prayer  indeed  ? 
The  mighty  utterance  of  a  mighty  need. 

5- 

The  man  is  praying,  who  doth  press  with  might 
Out  of  his  darkness  into  God's  own  light. 

6. 

The  greenest  leaf,  divided  from  its  stem, 
To  speedy  withering  doth  itself  condemn. 

7- 

All  things  from  God  their  sentence  wait 
And  sun  and  moon  are  beggars  at  His  gate. 

(Sel.~)     RICHARD  CH.   TRENCH. 

Some  of  the  Pharisees  held  that  we  should  never  pray 
unless  our  soul  prompts  us  to  it;  others,  however, 
taught  that  we  should  not  pass  over  the  appointed 
times  of  devotion;  for,  said  they,  it  cannot  fail  that 
the  soul,  in  speaking  to  God,  should  be  aroused  from  its 
lethargy. 

That  which  leads  men  into  infidelity  is  the  neglect  of 
prayer.  MUHAMMADAN. 

Prayer  is  better  than  sleep. 

MORNING  CALL  OF  THE  MUEZZIN. 
427 


Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path  of  life ;  in  Thy  pres- 
ence is  fulness  of  joy ;  at  Thy  right  hand  are  pleasures 
for  evermore. — Psalms  xvi.  n. 

What  if  earth  be  but  the  shadow  of  heaven  ?  And 
things  therein  each  to  the  other  like,  more  than  on 
earth  is  thought  ? — Milton. 

When  we  shall  die,  we  shall  find  we  have  not 
lost  our  dreams,  we  have  only  lost  our  sleep. 

—Jean  Paul  F.  Richter. 


429 


I.  ©efag  t0 


Say  not  unto  thy  neighbor  :  Go,  and  come  again, 
and  to-morrow  I  will  give,  when  it  is  in  thy  power  to 
do  it  to-day. — Proverbs  Hi.  28- 


(HUN  delays,  they  breed  remorse; 

Take  thy  time  while  time  doth  serve  thee 
Creeping  snails  have  weakest  force, 

Fly  their  fault  lest  thou  repent  thee. 
Good  is  best  when  soonest  wrought, 
Linger'd  labors  come  to  naught. 

Hoist  up  sail  while  gale  doth  last, 

Tide  and  wind  stay  no  man's  pleasure; 

Seek  not  time  when  time  is  past, 
Sober  speed  is  wisdom's  leisure. 

After-wits  are  dearly  bought, 

Let  thy  fore-wit  guide  thy  thought. 

Time  wears  all  his  locks  before, 
Take  thy  hold  upon  his  forehead; 

When  he  flies  he  turns  no  more, 
And  behind  his  scalp  is  naked. 

Works  adjourn'd  have  many  stays, 

Long  demurs  breed  new  delays. 

431 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Seek  thy  salve  while  sore  is  green, 

Fester'  d  wounds  ask  deeper  lancing; 
After-cures  are  seldom  seen, 

Often  sought,  scarce  ever  chancing; 
Time  and  place  give  best  advice, 
Out  of  season,  out  of  price. 

ROBERT  SOUTHWELL. 
¥ 


IL   2$e  (passing  ©ag  $)oft>*  feasting  (Boob. 


Blessed  be   God,  Who  loadeth  us  daily,  because 
He  is  the  God  of  our  salvation.  —  Psalms  Zxviii.  79. 


@WAKE,  my  brother,  and  delay  not  to  cure  thyself 
of  the  disease  of  pride  and  arrogance,  nor  be  pre- 
vented therefrom  because  thou  seest  others  delay  to 
cure  themselves,  nor  say,  "  Let  happen  to  me  what 
happens  to  them."  For  it  is  not  probable  that  a  blind 
person  will  delay  to  avail  himself  of  the  remedies  which 
are  at  hand  and  say:  "  Let  happen  to  me  what  happens 
to  my  companions  in  blindness."  Therefore  look  to 
thyself  and  exert  all  thy  strength;  nor  reject  what  may 
avail  thee  both  in  this  world  and  the  world  to  come, 
lest  thou  die  without  having  attained  the  precious  bene- 
fits within  thy  reach  ;  as  The  Wise  One  said  (Prov. 
xxi.  25):  The  desire  of  the  slothful  killeth  him.  And 
again  (xxiv.  30),  I  went  by  the  field  of  the  slothful  and 
by  the  vineyard  of  the  man  void  of  understanding,  and 


432 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

lo  !  it  was  all  grown  over  with  thorns,  and  nettles  had 
covered  the  face  thereof,  and  the  stone  wall  thereof  was 
broken  down.  May  God  in  His  mercy  show  thee  and 
me  the  right  path  to  serve  Him  !  Amen. 

BECHAI  BEN  JOSEPH   PAKUDAH. 
XI.  Century. 

,  teach  us  so  to  mark  our  days 
That  we  may  prize  them  duly  : 
So  guide  our  feet  in  wisdom's  ways 

That  we  may  love  Thee  truly  ; 
Return,  O,  Lord  !  our  griefs  behold, 
And  with  Thy  goodness,  as  of  old, 
O  satisfy  us  early. 

¥ 


in. 


Man  is  like  to  vanity  ;  his  days  are  as  a  shadow 
that  passeth  away.  —  Psalms  cxliv.  4. 


the  source  of  life,  has  placed  in  our  nature  the 
blessed  hope  of  immortality  by  which  we  may 
console  ourselves  for  the  vanity  of  life  and  overcome 
the  dread  of  death.  If  thou  art  in  truth  of  the  higher 
sphere,  why  should  the  thought  of  leaving  this  lower 
region  trouble  thee  ?  Especially  since  the  very  pleas- 
ures which  thou  seekest  on  earth  are,  in  reality,  but 
briars  and  thorns.  .  .  .  Therefore  seek  them 
not;  but  what  should'st  thou  do  ?  This:  Use  thy  time 
as  thou  would'st  a  doubtful  companion;  extract  the 


433 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

good  and  avoid  the  evil.  Avail  thyself  of  the  few 
opportunities  of  improvement  in  his  company,  and  use 
thy  discretion  so  that  thou  mayest  suffer  no  injury  from 
thy  association  with  him.  And  remember  that  the 
companionship  of  Time  is  but  of  short  duration.  It 
flies  more  quickly  than  the  shades  of  evening.  We  are 
like  a  child  that  grasps  in  his  hand  a  sunbeam.  He 
opens  his  hand  soon  again,  but,  to  his  amazement, 
finds  it  empty  and  the  brightness  gone. 

R.  JEDAYA  PENINI. 
XIV.  Century. 


our  duty  here  ?  to  tend 
From  good  to  better,  thence  to  best  ; 
Grateful  to  drink  life's  cup  —  then  bend 

Unmurmuring  to  our  bed  of  rest  ; 
To  pluck  the  flowers  that  round  us  blow, 
Scattering  sweet  fragrance  as  we  go. 


IV.    T£e  Cannot  6e  <W0ere  (Bob  10  Qtof. 


Thou  compassest  my  path  and  my  lying  down, 
and  art  acquainted  with  all  my  ways.     Thou  hast  be- 
set me  behind  and  before,  and  laid  Thy  hand  upon  me. 
—  Psalms  cxxxix.  3,  5. 

3F  this  dogma  of  God's  omnipresence  may  enable  us 
to  live  more  worthily,  calling  out  our  full  capacities, 
meagre  though  they  be,  of  hope,  of  faith  and  of  love, 
will  it  not  also  enable  us,  when  the  need  has  come,  to 

434 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

die  worthily,  too  ?  For  death  itself  can  not  separate 
either  ourselves  or  those  we  love  from  God:  He  has 
given,  He  has  taken,  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord ! 
For,  though  flesh  waste  away,  God  is  still  our  portion 
and  their  portion;  and  if  His  love  and  His  wisdom  are 
manifested  in  life,  they  must  also  be  manifested,  what- 
ever and  however  may  be  the  outcome,  in  that  passage 
and  change  which  we  speak  of  as  death.  Those  we 
have  honored  and  loved  must  die,  perchance  in  the 
springtime  of  their  youth,  perchance  in  the  fulness  of 
their  age;  an  instant  more,  an  instant  less;  in  God's 
sight  it  makes  no  difference.  They  pass,  but  they  are 
with  Him,  even  as  we;  nay,  perhaps  we  may  say  more 
truly,  both  of  them  and  of  ourselves :  They  are  with 
God,  where  we,  too,  soon  shall  be. 

CLAUDE  G.  MONTIFIORE. 


R  me,  my  heart  that  erst  did  go 
Most  like  a  tired  child  at  a  show, 
That  sees  through  tears  the  mummers  leap,- 
Would  now  its  wearied  vision  close, 
Would  childlike  on  His  love  repose, 
Who  giveth  His  beloved  sleep, 

And  friends,  dear  friends,  when  it  shall  be 
That  this  low  breath  is  gone  from  me, 
And  round  my  bier  ye  come  to  weep, 
Let  one,  most  loving  of  you  all, 
Say  "  Not  a  tear  must  o'er  her  fall ! " 
He  giveth  His  beloved  sleep. 


435. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


V.  £0e  3n0tg$f  of 


Unto  the  wicked,  God  saith  :  What  hast  thou 
to  do  to  declare  My  statutes,  or  that  thou  should'st  take 
My  covenant  in  thy  mouth  ?  Seeing  thou  hatest  in- 
struction and  easiest  My  word  behind  thee  !  —  Psalms 
/.  16,  17. 


3T  is  true  to  say  that  goodness,  on  it's  own  field,  can 
see  further,  and  see  more  truly,  than  the  mere  in- 
telligence which  is  divorced  from  moral  worth.  Good- 
ness can  be  allied  to  the  deepest  ignorance,  and  we 
shall  always  maintain  proudly  that  such  goodness  is 
more  acceptable  to  God  and  more  akin  to  Him  than  the 
profoundest  knowledge  and  the  most  brilliant  genius 
when  wedded  to  a  selfish  or  immoral  life.  Plato  speaks 
of  the  character  of  a  good  physician,  and  a  good  judge, 
and  he  urges  that  "a  judge  should  be  not  young;  he 
should  have  learnt  to  know  evil,  not  from  his  own  soul, 
but  from  late  and  long  observation  of  the  nature  of  evil 
in  others;  for  vice  can  not  know  virtue,  too,  but  a  vir- 
tuous nature,  educated  by  time,  will  acquire  a  knowl- 
edge, both  virtue  and  vice."  There  is  a  divine  world 
of  beauty  into  which  the  vicious  can  never  enter,  the 
laws  of  which  he  can  not  discern  ;  in  that  realm  the 
stupidest  servant  of  goodness,  the  dullest  menial  of 
love,  is  wiser  than  he.  You  can  not  do  the  works  of 
goodness  by  sheer  intelligence;  it  is  love  which  must 
primarily  suggest  the  details  of  love's  service. 

'Tis  love  must  see  them  as  the  eye  sees  light, 
Pay  is  but  Numbre  to  the  darkened  sight. 

436 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Love  can  open  the  eyes  of  reason,  but  reason  can  not 

command  love. 

CLAUDE  G.  MONTIFIORE. 

,  loving  and  forgiving, 

Twin  sisters  of  the  soul, 
In  whose  celestial  living 
The  passions  find  control  ! 
Still  breathe  your  influence  o'er  us, 
Whene'er  by  passions  crost, 
And  angel-like  restore  us, 
The  Paradise  we  have  lost. 

¥ 

VI.      £0e  ;§ear  <xnb  ffle  £ot>e  of  (Bob. 


And  wisdom  and  knowledge  shall  be  the  stability 
of  thy  times,  and  the  strength  of  salvation  ;  the  fear  of 
the  Lord  is  thy  treasure.  —  Isaiah  xxxiii.  6. 

I  love  the  Lord,  for  He  hath  heard  my  voice  and 
my  supplications.  —  Psalms  cxvi.  I, 


HE  heart  will  never  awake  to  life  till  the  passions 

die. 

Appear  as  thou  art,  or  be  as  thou  appearest. 
Oblivion  of  self  is  remembrance  of  God. 

0  God,  if  I  be  so  happy  while  I  fear  Thee,  how  happy 
shall  I  become  when  I  cease  to  fear  Thee,  and  shall 
only  love  Thee. 

He  who  fears  not  God  of  his  own  free  will,  must  fear 
mankind  of  necessity. 

1  saw  a  stone  cast  on  a  road,  and  thereon  was  written 
by  the  Pen  of  God's  Might :   "  O  son  of  man,  since  thou 

437 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

dost  not  act  in  accordance  with  what  thou  knowest, 
how  seekest  thou  what  thou  knowest  not  ?  " 

Were  there  no  affliction,  there  were  no  way  to  God. 

The  supreme  thanksgiving  to  God  is  that  thou  should- 
est  see  thyself  incapable  of  duly  rendering  thanks  to  Him. 

PERSIAN. 

/\Y^  Y  heart  believes  —  yet  still  I  long  for  light, 
\i         Surely  the  morning  cometh  after  night, 
When  Faith,  the  watcher,  shall  give  place  to  sight  ! 


VII.  £0e  $R$t  of 


Voices, 
I. 

lp\OW  soon  hath  time,  the  subtle  thief  of  youth 

™     Stolen  on  his  wing  my  three  and  twentieth  year! 

My  hasting  days  flow  on  with  full  career. 

But  my  late  spring  no  bud  nor  blossom  shewth. 

Perhaps  my  semblance  might  deceive  the  truth 

That  I  to  manhood  am  arrived  so  near; 

And  inward  ripeness  does  much  less  appear 

That  some  more  timely-happy  spirit  endu'th. 

Yet  be  it  less  or  more,  or  soon  or  slow, 

It  shall  be  still  in  strictest  measure  even, 

To  that  same  lot,  however  mean  or  high, 

Towards  which  time  leads  me,  and  the  will  of  Heaven 

All  is,  if  I  have  grace  to  use  it  so, 

As  ever  in  my  great  taskmaster's  eye. 

MILTON. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

II. 

A  plaintive  sonnet  flowed  from  Milton's  pen 
When  time  had  stolen  his  three-and-twentieth  year; 
Say,  shall  not  I,  then,  shed  one  tuneful  tear, 
Robbed  by  the  thief  of  three-score  years  and  ten? 
No  !  for  the  foes  of  all  life  lengthened  men, 
Trouble  and  toil,  approach  not  yet  too  near; 
Reason,  meanwhile,  and  health,  and  memory  dear 
Hold  unimpaired  their  weak,  yet  wonted  reign; 
Still  round  my  sheltered  lawn  I,  pleased,  can  stray; 
Still  trace  my  sylvan  blessings  to  their  spring. 
Being  of  Beings  !     Yes,  that  silent  lay 
Which  musing  gratitude  delights  to  sing, 

Still  to  Thy  sapphire  throne  shall  Faith  convey 
And  Hope,  the  cherub  of  unwearied  wing. 

WILLIAM  MASON. 
¥ 


VIII.  tfy  Stffesf  (preparation  for  a  JBeffer 


Return,  O  my  soul,  unto  thy  rest,  for  the  Lord 
hath  dealt  bountifully  with  thee.  —  Psalms  cxvi.  7,  8, 


HE  effect  of  water,  poured  on  the  root  of  a  tree,  is 
seen  on  the  branches  and  fruit  above ;  so,  in  the 
next  world,  are  seen  the  effects  of  good  deeds  performed 
here.  BUDDHIST  SCRIPTURE. 

There  are  good  deeds  of  which  man  earns  the  fruit 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

but  scantily  in  this  world,  because  the  fulness  of  reward 
can  only  be  enjoyed  in  the  world  to  come. 

THE  MISHNAH. 

Is  it  not  strange,  my  friends,  that  after  all  I  have 
said  to  convince  you  that  I  am  going  to  the  society  of 
the  Happy,  you  still  think  this  body  to  be  Socrates  ? 
Bury  my  lifeless  body  where  you  please,  but  do  not 
mourn  over  it,  as  if  that  were  Socrates. 

Spoken  shortly  before  his  death. 

3N  loving  service  for  others,  remorse  for  sin  allay, 
And  the  angels  will  forget  the  debt  thou  canst  not  pay. 
Heaven's  gate  is  shut  to  him  who  comes  alone, 
Save  thou  another  soul,  and  it  shall  save  thine  own. 


IX.  (passing  @lwig  in  (peace. 


And  the  king  said  unto  Barzillai,  Come  thou  over 
with  me,  and  I  will  feed  thee  in  Jerusalem.  And 
Barzillai  said  unto  the  king,  How  long  have  I  to  live, 
that  I  should  go  up  with  the  king  unto  Jerusalem  ? 
I  am  this  day  fourscore  years  old  :  and  can  I  discern 
between  good  and  evil  ?  can  thy  servant  taste  what  I 
eat  or  what  I  drink  ?  can  I  hear  any  more  the  voice  of 
singing  men  and  singing  women  ?  Wherefore,  then, 
should  thy  servant  be  yet  a  burden  unto  my  lord,  the 
king  ?  Thy  servant  will  go  a  little  way  over  Jordan  with 
the  king  :  and  why  should  the  king  recompense  it  me 
with  such  a  reward  ?  Let  thy  servant,  I  pray  thee, 
turn  back  again,  that  I  may  die  in  mine  own  city, 
and  be  buried  by  the  grave  of  my  father  and  of  my 
mother.  —  //.  Samuel  xix.  33-37* 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

'ThHEN  I  get  through  my  labor,  when  there  is  noth- 
ing I  can  any  longer  achieve,  any  longer  do  to 
make  the  world  brighter,  happier,  better,  then  I  pray 
God  to  let  me  fade  and  fall,  to  let  me  go  to  sleep.  If  I 
believed  that  there  was  nothing  further  for  man,  no 
other,  higher  life,  perhaps  I  might  selfishly  cling  to  my 
place  on  the  bough,  against  logic,  against  reason;  but, 
standing  here  this  morning,  I  ask  that  I  may  fade  as  a 
leaf  when  my-life  work  is  done,  when  I  have  ministered 
to  the  life  that  bore  me  all  that  it  can — then  let  me  at 
least  go  on,  and  see  if  there  be  not  something  higher 
and  better  than  simply  waiting  alone  on  the  bough  that 
has  given  me  support.  MINOT  J.  SAVAGE. 

Y  days  are  as  the  grass  ; 

Soon  out  of  sight  I  pass 
And  in  the  bleak  earth  must  hide  my  head ; 

The  wind  that  passes  o'er 

Will  find  my  place  no  more, — 
The  wind  of  death  will  tell  that  I  am  dead. 

But  how  shall  I  rejoice 

When  I  shall  hear  the  voice 
Of  Him  who,  keeping  spring  with  him  alway, 

Lest  hope  from  man  should  pass 

Has  made  us  as  the  grass, — 
The  grass  that  always  has  another  day. 


X.  (pfanftng  for  (Bfetmfg. 

The  Lord  hath  chastened  me  sore ;  but  He  hath 
not  given  me  over  unto  death. — Psalms  CKviii.  18. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

s. 

noble-minded,  if  brought  ever  so  low  in  poverty, 
cannot  hide  his  nobility;  he  is  like  a  burning 
wood;  turn  it  down  as  you  may  —  the  flame  still  rises 
heavenwards.  EASTERN. 

The  human  heart  is  like  heaven;  the  more  angels, 
the  more  room.  FREDERIKA  BREMER. 

To  dare  is  great.  To  bear  is  greater.  Bravery  we 
share  with  the  brutes:  Fortitude  with  saints. 

C.  F.  DEEMS. 

True  glory  consists  in  doing  what  deserves  to  be 
written  ;  and  in  writing  it  consists,  in  what  deserves  to 
be  read,  and  in  living  to  make  the  world  happier  and 
better  for  our  living  in  it.  PLINY. 

A  man  must  not  so  much  prepare  himself  for  eternity, 
but  plant  eternity  in  himself—  eternity  —  serene,  pure, 
full  of  depth,  full  of  light  and  of  all  else  that  is  grand 
and  holy. 

@RISE,  O  star  of  blessed  hope, 
Let  not  my  soul  in  darkness  grope 
And  suffer  pangs  of  constant  death, 
Long  ere  I  breathe  my  dying  breath. 

¥ 


XI.        ©tficorbfi  dnb  @Ucorb0  of  &ife. 

In  the  evening  there  is  weeping,  in  the  morning 
cometh  rejoicing.  —  Psalms  xxx.  5. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

must  learn  to  suffer  what  we  cannot  evade.  Our 
life,  like  the  harmony  of  the  world,  is  composed 
of  contrary  things,  of  several  notes,  sweet  and  harsh, 
sharp  and  flat,  sprightly  and  solemn,  and  the  musician 
who  should  only  affect  one  of  these,  what  would  he  be 
able  to  do  ?  He  must  know  how  to  make  use  of  them 
all  and  to  mix  them  ;  and  we,  likewise,  the  goods  and  evils 
which  are  consubstantial  with  life;  our  being  cannot 
subsist  without  this  mixture,  and  the  one  are  not  less 
necessary  to  it  than  the  other.  To  attempt  to  kick 
against  natural  necessity  is  to  repeat  the  folly  of 
Chisiphon  who  undertook  to  kick  with  his  mule. 

MONTAIGNE. 

EARS  wash  away  the  atoms  in  the  eye 

That  smarted  for  a  day  : 

Rain-clouds  that  spoiled  the  splendors  of  the  sky 
The  fields  with  flowers  array. 

No  chamber  of  pain  but  has  some  hidden  door 

That  promises  release  : 
No  solitude  so  drear  but  yields  its  store 

Of  thought  and  inward  peace. 

¥ 

XII.       £0e  @tffuremenf6  of 


Though  a  host  should  encamp  against  me,  I  shall 
not  fear.     .     .     .  —  Psalms  xxvii.  3. 


is  not  to  taste  sweet  things,  but  to  do  noble  things 
and  vindicate  himself  under  God's  heaven  as  a  God- 
made  man,  that  the  poorest  son  of  Adam  dimly  longs. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Show  him  the  way  of  doing  that,  the  dullest  day-drudge 
kindles  into  a  hero.  They  wrong  man  greatly  who  say, 
he  is  seduced  by  ease  ;  difficulty,  abnegation,  martyr- 
dom, death  are  the  allurements  that  act  on  the  heart  of 
man.  Kindle  the  inner  genial  life  of  him,  you  have  a 
flame  that  burns  up  all  lower  considerations.  .  .  . 
Not  by  flattering  our  appetites  —  no,  by  awakening  the 
heroic  in  every  heart,  can  any  religion  gain  followers. 

THOMAS  CARLYLE. 


is  day  without  night  ; 
And  there  no  heart  shall  sigh  ; 
There  is  peace  without  fright 

In  that  realm  heavenly. 
There  is  truth  without  unright, 

Ever  and  equally  :  — 
All  be  alike,  both  churl  and  knight, 
Both  rich  and  poor  on  high. 

OLD  ENGLISH. 


XIII.  (glowing  Offering. 


My  voice  shalt  Thou  hear  in  the  morning,  O  Lord; 
in  the  morning  will  I  direct  my  prayer  unto  Thee 
and  will  look  up.  —  Psalms  v.  j. 


'lookup"  ?  Is  it  expectancy — the  lifting  of 
the  eyes  in  the  hope  of  an  answer  ?  I  do  not  think 
so.  I  think  it  is  the  looking  up,  not  in  expectation,  but 
in  pride,  that  noble  pride  which  a  holy  man  may  feel. 


SUN   AND  SHIELD. 

The  Psalmist  says  that  when  he  prays  he  can  pray  with 
unabashed  countenance  —  with  eyes  looking  right  into 
the  face  of  God.  He  has  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of. 
He  may  not  gain  his  desire,  but  he  need  not  blush  for 
it.  And  why  has  he  no  cause  to  blush  ?  Because  his 
prayer  is  offered  "in  the  morning."  It  is  not  wrung 
out  by  the  exigencies  of  the  day.  It  does  not  come 
from  the  burden  and  the  heat.  It  is  not  wakened  by 
cares  of  the  world.  It  is  not  a  cry  called  forth  by  per- 
sonal pain.  It  comes  from  the  heart  as  yet  unburdened, 
from  the  spirit  as  yet  free.  It  mounts  by  the  wings  of 
praise  ;  it  soars  in  the  flight  of  song.  It  has  not  been 
taught  to  fly;  it  flies  by  instinct.  It  turns  to  the  Father 
as  the  magnet  turns  to  the  pole  —  not  by  compulsion 
but  by  attraction.  GEORGE  MATHESON. 

/&WEET  morn  !  from  countless  cups  of  gold 
^^     Thou  liftest  reverently  on  high 
More  incense  fine  than  earth  can  hold, 
To  fill  the  sky. 

In  man,  O  morn,  a  loftier  good, 

With  conscious  blessing  fills  the  soul  — 
A  life  by  reason  understood 

Which  metes  the  whole. 


Xiv. 


Show  me  Thy  ways,  O  Lord,  teach  me  Thy  paths. 
lead  me  in  Thy  truth  and  guide  me;  for  Thou  art 
the  God  of  my  salvation  ;  on  Thee  do  I  wait  every 
day.  —  Psalms  xxv.  4,  5. 


445 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

of  the  illusions  is:  that  the  present  hour  is  not 
the  critical,  decisive  hour.  Write  it  on  your  heart 
that  every  day  is  the  best  day  in  the  year.  No  man 
has  learned  anything  rightly  until  he  knows  that  every 
day  is  Doomsday.  .  .  .  He  only  can  enrich  me  who 
can  recommend  me  the  space  between  sun  and  sun. 
'Tis  the  measure  of  a  man — his  apprehension  of  a  day. 

R.  W.  EMERSON. 

So  here  has  been  dawning  another  blue  day, 
Think !     Wilt  thou  let  it  slip  useless  away  ? 

Out  of  eternity  this  new  day  is  born; 
Into  eternity  at  night  will  return. 

Behold  it  aforetime  no  eye  ever  did; 
So  soon  it  for  ever  from  all  eyes  is  hid. 

Here  has  been  dawning  another  blue  day, 
Think,  wilt  thou  let  it  slip  useless  away  ? 

THOMAS  CARLYLE. 
¥ 

XV.  (Bictottou*  from  *0c  Jtgft. 

Blessed  is  he  whose  conscience  has  not  condemned 
him  and  who  is  not  fallen  from  his  hope  in  the  Lord. 
— Ecclesiasticus, 


calm  and  holy  souls,  unruffled  by  doubt  and 
passion,  serene  in  their  trust  and  perfect  in  their 
devotion,  seem,  indeed,  never  to  have  known  that  inter- 
mediate state  of  difficulty  and  contest.  Most  fair  and 

446 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

beautiful  these  souls  are  ;  and  loveliest,  perhaps,  among 
them  are  those  whose  knowledge  is  small,  whose  relig- 
ious vocabulary  is  limited,  and  whose  beliefs  are  child- 
like and  crude,  but  whose  humility  and  ardour,  whose 
loyal  trust  and  faithful  service  stamp  them  as  worthy 
children  of  the  heavenly  Father.  And  scarcely  less  to 
be  reverenced  than  they  by  us  who,  let  us  hope,  are 
struggling  to  be  free  —  are  those  in  whose  faces  is 
written  the  record  of  the  fight  from  which  they  have 
come  out  victorious.  They  are  wise  with  the  wisdom 
of  experience  ;  they  are  merciful  in  judgment,  for  they, 
too,  erewhile  have  been  in  bondage. 

CLAUDE  G.  MONTIFIORE. 


virtue  ;  she  alone  is  free  ; 
She  will  teach  you  how  to  climb 
Higher  than  the  sphery  chime  ; 
Or  if  Virtue  feeble  were, 
Heaven  itself  should  stoop  to  her. 


XVi.  (gtfenfggf 


And  in  the  nighttime  His  song  is  with  me.  —  Psalms 
xlii.  8. 


MIDST  the  silence  of  the  voiceless  night, 

When,  chased  by  airy  dreams,  the  slumbers  flee, 
Whom  in  the  darkness  doth  my  spirit  seek, 


O  God,  but  Thee  ? 


447 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

And  if  there  be  a  weight  upon  my  breast, 
Some  vague  impression  of  the  day  foregone, 
Scarce  knowing  what  it  is,  I  fly  to  Thee, 
And  lay  it  down. 

Or  if  it  be  the  heaviness  that  comes 
In  token  of  anticipated  ill, 
My  bosom  takes  no  heed  of  what  it  is, 
Since  'tis  Thy  will. 

For  oh,  in  spite  of  past  and  present  care, 
Or  any  thing  beside,  how  joyfully 
Passes  that  silent,  solitary  hour, 
My  God,  with  Thee. 

More  tranquil  than  the  stillness  of  the  night, 
More  peaceful  than  the  silence  of  that  hour, 
More  blest  than  anything,  my  spirit  lies 
Beneath  Thy  power. 

For  what  is  there  on  earth  that  I  desire 
Of  all  that  it  can  give  or  take  from  me, 
Or  whom  in  heaven  doth  my  spirit  seek, 

O  God,  but  Thee.  ANON. 


XVII. 


The  fining  pot  is  for  silver  and  the  furnace  for 
gold,  even  so  the  Lord  purifieth  the  heart.  —  Psalms 
xvii.  j. 

448 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

opal  lay  in  the  case,  cold  and  lustreless.  It  was 
held  a  few  moments  in  a  warm  hand,  when  it 
gleamed  and  glowed  with  all  the  beauty  of  the  rainbow. 
All  about  us  are  human  lives  of  children  or  of  older 
persons,  which  seem  cold  and  unbeautiful,  without 
spiritual  radiance  or  the  gleams  of  indwelling  light 
which  tell  of  immortality.  Yet  they  need  only  the 
touch  of  a  warm  human  hand,  the  pressure  of  love,  to 
bring  out  in  them  the  brightness  of  the  spiritual  beauty 
that  is  hidden  in  them.  J.  R.  MILLER. 

In  the  still  air  the  music  lies  unheard; 

In  the  rough  marble  beauty  hides  unseen ; 
To  make  the  music  and  the  beauty  needs 

The  master's  touch,  the  sculptor's  chisel  keen. 
Great  Master,  touch  us  with  Thy  skillful  hand ; 

Let  not  the  music  that  is  in  us  die; 
Great  Sculptor,  hew  and  polish  us ;    nor  let, 

Hidden  and  lost,  Thy  form  within  us  lie ! 

HORATIUS    BONAR. 


XViii.       $f  $e  (Unftnoum 

(Brab  term  for  Grave.) 


Though  I  walk  into  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death  I  fear  no  evil,  for  Thou  art  with  me  :  Thy  rod 
and  Thy  staff  they  comfort  me.  —  Psalms  xxiii.  4. 


449 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

&O  live,  that  when  Thy  summons  come  to  join 

The  innumerable  caravan  wnich  moves 
To  that  mysterious  realm  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death, 
Thou  go  not  as  the  quarry-slave  at  night, 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon  ;  but  sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  thy  grave 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dream 

BRYANT. 

Alas  for  him  who  never  sees 
The  stars  shine  through  his  cypress  trees  ! 
Who,  hopeless,  lays  his  dead  away, 
Nor  looks  to  see  the  breaking  day 
Across  the  mournful  marbles  play! 
Who  hath  not  learned,  in  hours  of  faith, 
The  truth,  to  flesh  and  sense  unknown: 
That  life  is  ever  Lord  of  death 
And  love  can  never  lose  its  own. 

WHITTIER. 
¥ 

XIX.          t  f0e  time  of  <Dfb 


Remember  not  the  sins  of  my  youth  and  my 
transgression  ;  according  to  Thy  mercy  remember  me, 
for  Thy  goodness  sake.  —  Psalms  xxv.  7. 

Cast  me  not  away  in  the  time  of  old  age>  when 
my  strength  waneth,  forsake  me  not.  —  Psalms  Ixxi.  g. 


45° 


SUN  AND   SHIELD. 

F,  gracious  God !  in  life's  green  ardent  year, 
A  thousand  times  Thy  patient  love  I  tried, 
With  reckless  heart,  with  conscience  hard  and  sear, 
Thy  gifts  perverted  and  Thy  power  defied, — 
Oh !  grant  me  now,  that  winter  snows  appear 
Around  my  brow  and  youth's  bright  promise  hide, 
Grant  me,  with  reverential  awe  to  hear 
Thy  holy  voice  and  in  Thy  words  confide ! 
Blot  from  my  book  of  life  its  early  stain ! 
Since  days  misspent  will  never  more  return, 
My  future  path  do  Thou  in  mercy  trace ; 
So  cause  my  soul  with  pious  zeal  to  burn, 

That  all  the  trust  which  in  Thy  name  I  place, 
Frail,  as  I  am,  may  not  prove  wholly  vain! 

(TV.)    PIETRO  BOMBO. 

Before  the  hoary  head  thou  shalt  rise  up  and  honor 
the  face  of  the  aged ;  and  thou  shalt  reverence  thy  God ; 
I  am  the  Lord.  Leviticus  xix.  32. 

A  Spartan  predicted  the  downfall  of  Athens  when  he 
observed  in  the  theatre  that  the  young  men  kept  their 
seats  while  old  citizens  were  obliged  to  stand. 


XX.      £0e  Ctotentncj  of  d  (Boob  feifc. 


A  crown  of  glory  is  a  hoary  head  if  it  be  found 
on  the  path  of  righteousness  aud  mercy.  —  Proverbs 
xiv.  31. 

45* 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

3T  is  a  beautiful  thing,  standing  here,  children  of 
Israel  and  children  of  the  Christian  faith,  to  remem- 
ber that  this  grand  old  Hebrew  (Moses  Montefiore)  did 
all  these  good  and  noble  things  because  he  was  loyal  to 
his  convictions.  He  was,  to  the  very  backbone,  a 
religious  man.  He  was  conscious  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  a  son  of  the  Highest,  enclosed  in  the  ancient 
covenant  between  God  and  His  chosen  race  ;  and  that 
he  was  assured  of  His  blessing,  if  he  went  forth  into 
the  world  to  comfort  the  oppressed  and  bring  good 
tidings  to  the  down-trodden.  Can  those  be  right  who 
tell  us  that  in  these  days  religious  conviction  has  become 
a  minus  quantity?  That  we  have  nothing  of  the  old 
chivalry,  nothing  of  the  old  heroism,  nothing  of  the 
daring  spirit,  which  will,  forgetful  of  all  smaller  motives, 
go  forth  to  do  valiantly  for  God  and  His  suffering  chil- 
dren? Moses  Montefiore  at  his  hundreth  birthday,  is  a 
complete  refutation  of  this  pessimistic  idea. 

STEPHEN  H.  CAMP. 


who  so  high  hast  raised  me  by  Thy  love, 
My  eyes  look  upward  to  Thy  realms  above, 
Thou  art  my  strength,  on  Thee  will  I  rely 
And  serve  Thee  till  the  moment  that  I  die, 
Thy  service  I  have  made  my  chosen  part, 
O  God  !  instill  Thy  grace  into  my  heart. 

IP 

XXI. 


I  am  silent,  I  open  not  my  mouth  —  for  Thou,  O 
God,  hast  done  it.  —  Psalms  xxxix.  9. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

natural  instinct  of  almost  every  mind  is  to 
shrink  in  repulsion  from  the  spectacle  of  hopeless 
disease — from  the  sight  of  the  pinched  features,  the 
stunted  frame,  the  palsied  limbs  of  its  victims.  And 
yet  it  is  not  all  ugliness.  All  his  uncomeliness  begets 
and  nurtures  a  beauty  of  its  own.  It  is  God's  beauty — 
the  beauty  of  moral  health  which,  by  a  wondrous  para- 
dox, springs  out  of  physical  sickness,  and  transfigures 
it.  ...  With  what  fine  fortitude  do  these  patients 
bear  their  hard  lot !  They  know  they  have  nothing  on 
this  earth  to  hope  for ;  they  know  that  for  them  one 
day  must  be  like  another,  presenting  the  same  grey 
monotony  of  weakness  and  pain — and  still  they  are 
patient  and  resigned  and  even  cheerful.  They  do  not 
cry  out  because  their  load  is  heavy;  they  do  not  impeach 
the  justice  of  a  dispensation  that  has  doomed  them  to 
incurable  wretchedness  while  so  many  of  their  fellow- 
creatures,  whose  very  voices  reach  them  from  the 
street  outside  are  revelling  in  the  joy  of  life.  This  is 
heroism  indeed,  and  it  is  heroism  which  is  not  confined 
to  them,  but  repeats  itself  in  many  a  life  that  is  passed 
elsewhere  than  in  a  Home  for  Incurables. 

MORRIS  JOSEPH. 

./CDR  God  who  binds  the  broken  heart 
**)      And  dries  the  mourner's  tear, 
If  faith  and  patience  be  their  part 
Will  unto  these  be  near. 


453 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 


XXII.    £$e      erot6m  of 


They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their 
strength.  .  .  .  They  shall  run  and  not  be  weary ; 
they  shall  walk  and  not  be  faint. — Isaiah  xl.  j/. 


AVI  AN Y  a  time  as  we  walk  abroad  we  meet  a  face  that 
v.  tells  the  same  noble  story — a  face  on  which 
trouble  has  left  deep  traces,  but  endurance  and  victory 
footprints  deeper  still.  Now  and  again  you  meet  some 
one  whose  story  needs  no  interpretation — it  is  so  obvious 
— an  old  man,  perhaps,  bowed  and  broken  with  his  years, 
yet  literally  carrying1  his  heavy  load  as  the  only  means 
of  earning  the  bread  he  scorns  to  beg  for,  or  some  brave 
girl  going  forth  to  her  work,  thinly  clad,  in  the  early 
morning  of  a  bitter  winter's  day,  when  ease  and  com- 
fort and  fine  raiment  might  be  hers  if  she  would  only 
forget  the  meaning  of  virtue.  Nay,  do  you  not  know 
of  examples  among  your  own  acquaintances?  Do  you 
not  know  of  those  who  in  all  their  trials  have  never  lost 
their  integrity,  who  submit  to  the  chastening  hand  of 
God  without  repining,  who  go  their  way  and  do  their 
work  making  no  sign,  but,  like  the  Spartan  boy  in  the 
ancient  tale,  sternly  repressing  the  anguish  which  is 
knawing  at  their  hearts  ?  Do  you  not  know  of  those 
whom  sorrow  has  bruised,  but  who  have  overcome  it  at 
last,  of  those  who  have  loved  and  lost,  and  yet  have 
clung  gratefully  to  what  has  been  left  them,  of  those 
who  have  found  some  heart  worthless  for  which  they 

454 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

have  sacrificed  themselves,  and  yet  have  retained  their 
trust  in  human  goodness,  of  those  who  drag  the  heavy 
chain  of  ceaseless  suffering,  and  yet  cheer  and  encourage 
those  about  them,  yet  look  up  into  God's  face  with  a 
patient  smile?  MORRIS  JOSEPH. 


adverse  winds  and  waves  arise 
And  in  my  heart  despondence  sighs  — 
While  life  her  throng  of  care  reveals 
And  weakness  o'er  my  spirit  steals,  — 
Grateful  I  hear  the  kind  decree, 
That  "  as  my  day,  my  strength  shall  be." 


XXIII.   "QXot  BO  in  qywit,  ing  feiftfe 

Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all 
thy  might. — Ecclesiastes  ix.  /o. 


,  for  the  art  of  doing  things  quickly,  yet  without 
haste,  of  speeding  on  to  the  finish  without  hurry. 
What  an  unfailing  source  of  joy  would  our  daily  tasks, 
yea,  our  very  drudgeries,  b  to  us  under  such  skillful 
handling,  what  a  saving  of  strength  and  nerve-power 
it  would  mean  to  us.  "  Procrastination  is  the  thief  of 
time,"  yes,  and  so  are  hurry  and  haste,  false  friends; 
nay,  they  rob  us  of  more  than  time,  they  steal  patience, 
good-nature  and  all  joy  in  our  labor.  Because  our 
forefathers  went  out  of  Egypt  in  haste,  we,  their  latest 
posterity,  still  are  eating  "  the  bread  of  misery"  on  the 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Passover,  and  yet  the  rush  was  from  bondage  to  liberty. 
Was  it  by  way  of  contrast  that  the  prophet  foretold  of 
the  later  deliverance  that  "  ye  shall  not  go  out  with 
haste  nor  as  if  by  flight ;  but  the  Lord  will  go  before 
you  and  the  God  of  Israel  will  be  your  rear-guard? " 

G.   G. 

'\WTHOUT  haste,  without  rest, 
*~      Bind  the  motto  to  thy  breast ; 
Bear  it  with  thee  as  a  spell, 
Storm  or  sunshine,  guard  it  well. 

Heed  not  flowers  that  round  thee  bloom, 
Bear  it  onward  to  the  tomb. 


XXIV.  0ur  Ctmee  Of 


3N    Thy   hand   are    my   times,"    both,    good    and 
CkTT-il  TTi-imatl    1i-f*a    r\f^\Tf^T   flrnnT-cin     a-n    e^tTan    /-»/~viit*c'ei 


"    I" 

evil.     Human  life  never  flows  in  an  even  course. 

Like  a  river  it  passes  now  through  green  meadows,  and 
now  through  dreary  wastes;  now  along  a  valley  and 
now  amid  mountains  and  over  precipices.  Only  the 
foolhardy  trust  in  the  constancy  of  earthly  things. 
Even  if  nothing  changes  outwardly,  we  ourselves  change 
with  increasing  years ;  time  leaves  its  furrows  not  only 
on  our  faces,  but  on  our  minds  also.  It  is  not  pleasant 
to  be  reminded  of  this,  but  it  is  wholesome.  For  whilst 
it  is  true  that  a  general  should  always  go  into  a  battle 
with  the  feeling  that  he  will  win,  he  must,  none  the  less, 
keep  his  line  of  retreat  open  and  accessible.  The 
more  necessary  is  this  in  our  warfare  of  life,  as  we 

456 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

know  we  shall  be  beaten  some  day.  Let  us,  then,  ask 
ourselves:  what  city  of  refuge  have  we  prepared  for 
shelter  when  that  day  comes?  It  is  pitiful  to  see  people 
plunged  in  affliction  without  any  spiritual  resources 
within  themselves  or  any  aptitude  for  rinding  comfort 
in  what  is  offered  them  by  others  ;  no  God  near  to  look 
up  to;  no  prayer  possible  to  relieve  the  oppressed 
bosom  ;  no  ray  of  hope  falling  into  the  gloom  and  no 
knowledge  of  the  higher  uses  of  adversity.  The  stroke 
only  is  felt,  never  the  hand  that  dealt  it  !  G.  G. 


His  sovereign  sway 
To  choose  and  to  command  ; 
With  wonder  filled,  thou  then  shalt  own, 

How  wise,  how  strong  His  hand. 
Thou  comprehend'st  Him  not  ; 
Yet  earth  and  heaven  tell  :    * 
God  sits  as  sovereign  on  the  throne, 
He  ruleth  all  things  well. 

|P 


XXV.    $0e  £E)ope  of  a  future  a  fet^t  for 


The  people  that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a 
great  light  ;  they  that  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  shadow 
of  death  —  upon  them  has  the  light  broken.  —  Isaiah 


the  pleasure   of  the  future  will  be  spiritual  and 
pure,  the  object  of  a  good  and   wise  man   in  this 
transitory  state  of  existence  should  be  to  fit  himself  for 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

a  better  by  controlling  the  unworthy  propensities  of  his 
nature  and  improving  all  his  better  aspirations;  to  do 
his  duty  to  his  God,  then  to  his  neighbor;  to  promote 
the  happiness  and  welfare  of  those  who  are  in  any 
degree  dependent  on  him  or  whom  he  has  the  means 
of  assisting,  never  wantonly  to  injure  the  meanest  thing 
that  lives,  to  encourage  as  far  as  he  may  have  the 
power  whatever  is  useful  and  tends  to  refine  and  exalt 
humanity;  to  store  his  mind  with  such  knowledge  as  it 
is  fitted  to  receive  and  he  is  able  to  attain ;  and  so  to 
employ  the  talents  committed  to  his  care  that,  when 
the  account  is  required,  he  may  hope  to  have  his 
stewardship  approved.  SOUTHEY. 

'LITTERING  stones,  and  golden  things, 

Wealth  and  honors  that  have  wings, 
Ever  fluttering  to  be  gone, 
I  could  never  call  my  own ; 
Riches  that  the  world  bestows 
She  can  take  and  I  can  lose ; 
But  the  treasures  that  are  mine 
Lie  afar  beyond  her  line ; 
When  I  view  my  spacious  soul, 
And  survey  myself  a  whole, 
And  enjoy  myself  alone, 
I'm  a  kingdom  of  my  own. 

WATTS. 


XXVI.  on    of  trust 


know  not,  but  Thou  knowest 
All  things,  Most  Good  and  Wise  ! 

458 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

The  light  is  all  about  Thee, 
The  mists  are  in  our  eyes. 

Thy  children  love  this  solace 
In  hours  of   strain  and  strife, 

What  we  know  not  Thou  knowest, 
Oh,  God  of  all  our  life ! 

Why  sicknesses  and  sorrows 

Should  dare  to  touch  Thine  own, 
Why  loving  hearts  are  breaking, 

And  weak  ones  sad  and  lone ; 
Why  those  who  cry  for  morning 

Are  lost  amid  the  night, 
We  know  not,  but  Thou  knowest, 

And  all  Thy  ways  are  right. 

Why  from  the  world  that  needs  them 

Thou  call'st  Thy  best  away, 
Though  hosts  besiege  Thee  for  them, 

And  they  are  fain  to  stay, 
We  ask,  but  find  no  answer, 

We  cannot  understand, 
But  Thine  is  perfect  knowledge, 

And  our  times  are  in  Thy  hand. 

From  beat  of  stormy  waters, 
From  waves  of  restless  care, 

From  tumult  of  great  trouble 
And  waste  of  wild  despair; 

459 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Our  souls  find  ample  refuge 

In  faith,  as  in  an  ark, 
We  know  not,  but  Thou  knowest, 

And  light  shines  through  the  dark. 

¥ 

XXVII.        tfc  $ir0  of 

The  soul  which  Thou,  O  God,  hast  given  me,  is 
pure ;  Thou  hast  created  it,  formed  it  and  breathed 
into  my  body ;  Thou  wilt  guard  it  till  Thou  wilt  take 
it  from  me  to  restore  it  in  futurity. — Ancient  Hebrew 
Prayer. 

appears  to  me  to  be  too  short  to  be  spent  in 
nursing  animosity  or  registering  wrongs.  We  are, 
and  must  be,  one  and  all,  burdened  with  faults  in  this 
world;  but  the  time  will  come  when,  I  trust,  we  shall 
put  them  off  in  putting  off  our  corruptible  bodies; 
when  debasement  and  sin  will  fall  from  us  with  this 
cumbrous  frame  of  flesh,  and  only  the  spark  will 
remain — the  impalpable  principle  of  life  and  thought, 
pure  as  when  it  left  the  Creator  to  inspire  the  creature  : 
whence  it  came,  it  will  return,  perhaps  to  pass  through 
gradations  of  glory.  .  .  .  It  is  a  creed  in  which  I 
delight,  to  which  I  cling.  It  makes  eternity  a  rest,  a 
vast  home,  not  a  terror  and  an  abyss.  Besides,  with 
this  creed,  revenge  never  worries  my  heart;  degrada- 
tion never  disgusts  me  too  deeply;  injustice  never 
crushes  me  too  low.  I  live  in  calm,  looking  to  the  end. 

CHARLOTTE  BRONT£. 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

HE  night  is  mother  of  the  day, 

The  winter  of  the  spring, 
And  ever  upon  old  decay, 

The  greenest  mosses  cling. 
Behind  the  cloud  the  star-light  lurks, 

Through  showers  the  sunbeams  fall ; 
For  God,  who  loveth  all  His  works 
Hath  left  His  hope  with  all. 

¥ 

XXVIII.  turning  f0e  fei^t  Jnwtrb. 

Let  us  search  and  try  our  ways  and  turn  again  to 
God. — Lamentations  Hi.  40. 


is  no  practice  I  know  of  more  beautiful  than 
that  of  passing  each  day  under  review ;  blessed  is 
the  sleep  that  follows  such  an  examination  of  one's  self ! 
How  calm,  how  lofty  and  free  is  the  mind  that  acts  as 
a  spy  and  censor  of  its  conduct,  and  privately  approves 
or  blames  itself  for  its  acts  and  character.  Every  night 
I  take  the  opportunity  of  summoning  myself  before 
such  a  tribunal.  As  soon  as  the  light  is  out  and  my 
wife,  knowing  my  practice,  has  lapsed  into  silence,  I 
run  over  and  examine  everything  I  have  said  and  done 
throughout  the  day. 

I  hide  nothing  and  pass  over  nothing;  for  why  should 
I  fear  the  sight  of  my  faults,  when  I  can  pardon  myself 
on  condition  of  not  transgressing  in  the  same  way 
again?  Did  I  speak  too  warmly  in  such  and  such  a 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

discussion?  I  resolve  in  future  not  to  engage  in  debate 
with  uneducated  people;  for  those  who  have  never 
learnt  anything  do  not  want  to  learn  from  me  or  any 
one  else. 

Did  I  warn  such  an  one  rather  more  freely  than  I 
ought?  The  result  was  that  I  only  gave  offence,  and 
did  him  no  good.  I  will  take  care  in  future,  that  what 
I  say  shall  not  only  be  true,  but  that  he,  to  whom  I 
say  it,  shall  be  able  to  bear  the  truth.  A  good  man 
likes  being  warned;  while  a  monitor  is  intolerable  to 
the  bad.  SENECA. 


murmur,  uncomplaining, 
In  His  hand 
Lay  whatever  things  thou  canst  not 

Understand  ; 

Though  the  world  thy  folly  spurneth 
From  thy  faith  in  pity  turneth, 

Peace  thy  inmost  soul  shall  fill  — 
Lying  still. 

¥ 


XXIX. 


The  night  shineth  as  the  day,  the  darkness  and  the 
light  are  both  alike  before  Thee.  —  Psalms  cxxxix.  12. 


immortality  of  the  soul  is  a  thing  which  so 
deeply  concerns,  so  infinitely  imports  us,  that 
we  must  have  utterly  lost  our  feeling  to  be  altogether 
cold  and  remiss  in  our  inquiries  about  it.  And  all  our 

462 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

actions  or  designs  ought  to  bend  so  very  different  a 
way,  according  as  we  are  encouraged  or  forbidden  to 
embrace  the  hope  of  eternal  rewards,  that  it  is  impos- 
sible for  us  to  proceed  with  judgment  and  discretion, 
otherwise  than  as  we  keep  this  point  always  in  view, 
which  ought  to  be  our  ruling  object  and  final  aim. 

BLAISE   PASCAL. 


SONNET  ON  NIGHT  AND  DEATH. 

YSTERIOUS  Night !  when  our  first  parent  knew 
Thee,  from  report  divine,  and  heard  thy  name, 

Did  he  not  tremble  for  this  lovely  frame, 

This  glorious  canopy  of  light  and  blue  ? 
Yet  'neath  a  curtain  of  translucent  dew, 

Bathed  in  the  rays  of  the  great  setting  flame, 

Hesperus  with  the  host  of  heaven  came, 
And  lo !  creation  widened  in  man's  view. 
Who  could  have  thought  such  darkness  lay  concealed 

Within  thy  beams,  O  Sun !  or  who  could  find, 

While  fly,  and  leaf,  and  insect  stood  revealed, 

That  to  such  countless  orbs  thou  madest  us  blind ! 
Why  do  we  then  shun  Death  with  anxious  strife  ? 

If  Light  can  thus  deceive,  wherefore  not  Life  ? 

].  BLANCO  WHITE. 


XXX.  £0e  evenin    £00uf  of 


Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  upright, 
for  the  end  of  that  man  is  peace.  —  Psalms  xxxvii.  37. 

463 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

AYlIND  thee  of  the  day,  when  thou  too  shalt  start  for 
v-  the  land  to  which  one  goeth  to  return  not  thence. 
Good  for  thee  then  will  have  been  an  honest  life ;  there- 
fore be  just  and  hate  transgressions.  He  who  loveth 
justice  will  be  blessed.  The  coward  and  the  bold, 
neither  can  fly  the  grave.  .  .  .  Then  let  thy  bounty 
give  abundantly,  as  is  fit,  love  truth,  and  Isis  shall  bless 
the  good  and  thou  shalt  attain  a  happy  old  age. 

The  soul,  on  coming  to  the  Hall  of  Truth,  should  be 
able  to  say :  I  have  never  perfidiously  done  evil  to  any 
man.  I  have  not  rendered  my  neighbor  miserable. 
I  have  not  overtasked  the  laborer,  though  I 
have  obtained  lordship,  dignities,  affluence  and  com- 
mand. Through  my  deeds  no  one  has  been  made 
fearful,  or  poor,  or  suffering  or  wretched.  I  have 
not  done  what  the  gods  detest.  I  have  not  allowed  the 
slave  to  be  maltreated  by  his  master,  nor  made  him 
a-hungry  nor  caused  him  to  weep. 

ANCIENT  EGYPTIAN. 


XXXI.  Croeeing  tfle  5&tr. 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  that  selfsame 
day,  saying :  Get  thee  up  unto  this  mountain  Abarim, 
unto  Mount  Nebo  .  .  .  and  die  in  the  mount 
whither  thou  goest  up  and  be  gathered  unto  thy 
people. — Deuteronomy  xxxii.  48, 50. 

464 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

and  evening  Star, 
And  one  clear  call  for  me, 
And  may  there  be  no  moaning  of  the  bar 

When  I  put  out  to  sea, 
But  such  a  tide  as  moving  seems  asleep, 

Too  full  for  sound  and  foam, 

When  that  which  drew  from  out  the  boundless  deep, 
Turns  again  home. 

Twilight  and  evening  bell, 

After  that  the  dark, 
And  may  there  be  no  sadness  of  farewell, 

When  I  embark, 
For  tho'  from  our  bourne  of  time  and  place 

The  flood  may  bear  me  far, 
I  hope  to  see  my  pilot  face  to  face 

When  I  have  crossed  the  bar.  TENNYSON. 

Duties  are  ours;  events  are  God's.  This  removes  an 
infinite  burden  from  the  shoulders  of  a  suffering, 
tempted,  mortal  creature.  On  this  consideration  only 
can  he  securely  lay  down  his  head  and  close  his  eyes. 

CECIL. 
¥ 


XXXII.     ^affoteing  f0e  QUme  of  (Bob  in 
Congregation. 

Iparapbrase  of  Iftattofsb. 
(feXALTED  be  His  great  and  holy  name, 

Whose  righteous   hand  hath   righteous  judgment 
wrought. 

465 


SUN  AND  SHIELD. 

Through  all  the  worlds  created  by  His  will 
Now  be  His  kingdom  of  redemption  brought. 
Let  righteousness  spring  forth.     Oh,  haste  and  tarry 
not! 

And  say  ye:     Amen. 

Dominion,  honor,  glory,  grace,  and  power, 

Blessing  and  bliss,  and  praise,  exceeding  praise, 
Realm  beyond  realm,  and  worlds  all  worlds  beyond, 
To  Him,  Father  of  souls,  Ancient  of  Days, 
Still  with  One  voice  of  faith  the  scattered  House  shall 
raise, 

And  say  ye  :     Amen. 

To  holy  souls,  departed  by  His  will, 

By  sorrow  chastened  and  by  mercy  shriven, 
Be  blissful  portion  in  the  future  life, 

Be  favor  shown  and  gracious  welcome  given. 
To    them    be     peace,    fulness  of   peace,  in  highest 
heaven. 

And  say  ye:     Amen. 

The  hallowed  One,  dwelling  in  Israel's  praise, 

Hath  formed  the  worlds  according  to  His  will. 
All  souls  are  His.     All  worlds  shall  know  His  ways. 
In  life  or  death  His  ways  are  mercy  still. 
Who  maketh  peace  in  heaven,  His  peace  our  hearts 
shall  fill. 

And  say  ye:     Amen. 


E.  A.  C.  BROWN. 
466 


Richmond,  CA  9     ^__ — - 

I^^JS,AS7 


prior  to  due  date 

^TAMPED  BELOW 


DUE 


SEP 


43186' 


*«357 


c«.IK,RNIfl  v 


